Russ: NFL Mock Draft 3.0
Russ: NFL Mock Draft 3.0
Mock Draft number three is here! All 32 teams are now locked into their spots and senior bowl performances have shaken things up nicely.
1.Arizona Cardinals: Nick Bosa, Edge, Ohio State.
Newly appointed head coach Kliff Kingsbury could decide to pick his own QB here. Instead, he plays it smart and chooses the best player in the draft. Bosa is just too good to pass up and will give the Cardinals defense two dynamic edge rushers to build around.
2. San Francisco 49ers: Josh Allen, OLB, Kentucky.
This selection is perfect for the fit and need of the 49ers. They desperately need to improve their pass rush and Allen is the premier stand up edge rusher in the draft. He will fit perfectly in their 3-4 defensive scheme.
3. New York Jets: D.K. Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss.
On a roster devoid of WR talent, Metcalf comes in and immediately gives Sam Darnold a deep threat. Metcalf should test well at the combine, possibly vaulting him to the top receiver in the draft.
4. Oakland Raiders: Rashan Gary, DT/DE, Michigan.
Rashan Gary and Maurice Hurst team up once again to help form a formidable front 4 in Oakland.. or Vegas.. or wherever they end up playing this year!
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama.
Will Bruce Arians give Jameis Winston a chance to prove himself? My gut says yes. In a top 5 filled with defensive lineman, the Bucs keep big man train rolling. Williams was unblockable for the tide this year. Additionally, with rumors of Tampa potentially cutting Gerald McCoy this offseason, Williams will also fit a pressing need for the Bucs.
6. New York Giants: Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson.
Ferrell is the kind of player the Giants just love. Elite college production to go along with great character off the field. He can be a Cornerstone on their D-Line for years to come
7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State.
Blake Bortles is done in Jacksonville. Haskins is a bit of a project but has shown great accuracy during his one year at Ohio State, and plenty of arm strength to boot.
8. Detroit Lions: Ed Oliver, DT, Houston.
Has all the talent in the world but drops to eight due to injury and off the field concerns. If he manages to pull it together, this pick will end up being the steal of the draft.
9. Buffalo Bills: Kelvin Harmon, WR, NC State.
The Bills already have a solid defense in place, so they start acquiring new toys for Josh Allen to play with. Harmon is 6’3” 213 pounds with great speed for his size. He also has a large catch radius that will do well with Josh Allen’s gun-slinging mentality.
10. Denver Broncos: Drew Lock, QB, Missouri.
There have been rumors circulating recently that John Elway is enamored with Drew Lock. If the rumors are to be believed, Elway will be sprinting to the podium to make this pick. Lock has all the physical tools you look for in a quarterback and just needs to work on his consistency.
11. Cincinnati Bengals: Daniel Jones, QB, Duke.
A new coach, and a fresh start at Quarterback. Jones improved his stock at the senior bowl and would be perfect for a Bengals team that would already have some offensive weapons around him.
12. Green Bay Packers: Montez Sweat, DE, Mississippi State.
The Packers have needed a dynamic edge rushes for a few years now, and Sweat fits the bill. He needs to get stronger to become more of a factor in the run game, but the effort is there and should develop into an All-Pro down the line.
13. Miami Dolphins: Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State.
Simmons could fall further than this due off the field concerns, but the Dolphins D-Line isn’t getting any younger. Simmons is a game-changing type of player due to rare burst for his size to go along with phenomenal strength.
14. Atlanta Falcons: Jachai Polite, Edge, Florida.
Polite is the rare combination of an explosive athlete who also has a non-stop motor. He has great speed and bends around the edge. His is not the biggest guy at the position but his relentlessness prevents him from being a liability in the run game.
15. Washington Redskins: Will Grier, QB, West Virginia.
It appears that Alex Smith may never play again, leaving the redskins QB room in shambles. Griers throwing mechanics are a bit broken but he displays elite accuracy on short and intermediate throws and flashes just enough arm strength to be a viable NFL QB.
16. Carolina Panthers: Greedy Williams, CB, LSU.
Another in a long line of defensive backs to come out of LSU. Williams has to rely a little less on his athleticism, and more on his technique at the NFL level. He should help the Panthers fill the Josh Norman sized hole they’ve neglected in their secondary the last few years.
17. Cleveland Browns: N’Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State.
The Browns give Mayfield another toy to play with here. Harry size and red-zone acumen will be a perfect compliment to WR Jarvis Landry and Antonio Callaway.
18. Minnesota Vikings: Yodny Cajuste, OT, West Virginia.
The vikings are all on Kirk Cousins, so drafting him a blindside protector seems like a given. Cajuste is a bit raw in his pass protection but has great potential due to his ideal measurables for the position. He is also already a man mover in the run game so he will be able to contribute immediately.
19. Tennessee Titans: Devin White, LB, LSU.
White is a physical specimen who has athleticism to spare. The Titans have a pretty solid roster all around, but White could propel the defense to whole other level.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Devin Bush, LB, Michigan.
Some teams may be scared about his height, but Bush should be a top performer at the NFL combine and has great character off the field. Combining that with his impressive game tape gives the Steelers a perfect fit.
21. Seattle Seahawks: Deionte Thompson, S, Alabama.
Seattle should be thrilled if Thompson drops this far in the draft. Last year Kam Chancellor retired and Earl Thomas’s suffered a gruesome injury. Thompson should be able to step right into the lofty shoes left behind by the former members of the Legion Of Boom.
22. Baltimore Ravens: Marquise Brown, WR, Ole Oklahoma.
The Ravens desperately need to provide Lamar Jackson with some weapons on the outside. Brown is a bit of a one trick pony, but he is elite at what he does. He is a prototypical deep threat, with the speed to blow by defenders at will.
23. Houston Texans: Greg Little, OT, Ole Miss.
Little’s stock has decreased significantly during his senior season. That being said, the Texans need to find guys to keep Deshaun Watson upright, and Little is still flush with All-Pro potential.
24. Oakland Raiders(from Chicago): Oshane Ximines, DE, Old Dominion.
The Raiders select another defensive lineman in their attempt to rid themselves from the ghost of Khalil Mack. Ximines comes from a small school so he is a bit raw technique wise, but with a little coaching, he should be able to develop into a solid player.
25. Philadelphia Eagles: Trayvon Mullen, CB, Clemson.
Some may partially attribute Mullens success to Clemson's fierce D-line. However, Mullen sure looked like a first-round draft pick during the National Championship game. With plus speed and experience playing man to man on an island, Mullen will bolster the Eagles shaky secondary.
26. Indianapolis Colts: Brian Burns, DE, Florida State.
Burns will no doubt start his career as a third-down specialist. However, after a couple of years inside a NFL weight room, he could turn into a dominant force if he gets strong enough to contribute in run support.
27. Oakland Raiders (from Dallas): J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, WR, Stanford.
Jon Gruden needs to provide Derek Carr with a new weapon after trading away an inconsistent Amari Cooper. What Whiteside lacks in speed, he makes up for with great route running and an uncanny ability to win the 50/50 balls.
28. Los Angeles Chargers: Mack Wilson, LB, Alabama.
Wilson isn’t like previous Alabama linebackers, as his strength lies more in coverage than stopping the run. He flows sideline to sideline with ease and can cover tight ends coming up the seams, making him an asset in today's NFL.
29. Kansas City Chiefs: Byron Murphy, CB, Washington.
My personal favorite DB in this draft, Murphy has excellent game tape. He is always in the WR’s hip pocket and has a knack for finding the football in mid-air. The chiefs defense suffered without Marcus Peters this year making it an easy selection for Andy Reid and CO.
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30. Green Bay Packers (from Saints) AJ Brown, WR, Ole Miss.
Randall Cobb is now in the downside of his career, so the Packers draft the speedy slot receiver from Ole Miss. Posing intriguing size as a slot receiver, Brown excels running the ball after the catch and should provide Rodgers a safety blanket on third downs.
31. Los Angeles Rams: Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia.
The problem area for the Rams seems to be the Cornerback and Linebacking core. With all the first round worthy LB’s off the board they end up with Baker. He doesn’t blow you away with any particular trait but is a solid player who can contribute immediately.
32. New England Patriots: Noah Fant, TE, Iowa.
I flirted with the idea of his teammate Tyler Hockenson here, but I believe Fant has the better upside of the two. Coming out of Iowa (AKA Tight End U) Fant has elite athleticism and the ability to be a great in-line blocker. He will tremendously soften the blow if Rob Gronkowski decides to retire this offseason.
-By: Russell Muhs.