Kgreene829 Mock Draft 1.5

[kgreene829]

Quick little mock draft for 15 picks that @Spoof ruined by trading so much. This is going to be less polished and not have all the pictures and formatting I had on the last one because I am so excited to start on the true version of 2.0 I don't want to spend time doing that so enjoy and let me know what you guys think.

 

1-NYJ: WR Paul Canha, Alabama

The Jets have come a long way since version 1.0 of my mock and I had them taking TCU QB Andrew Solano since I didn’t want to include any of the A+ or A QBs. Since then they traded for a different TCU QB Luke Trahan drafted by the Seahawks in the inaugural SimNFL draft. Jets owner Spoof has some familiarity with Trahan as he traded him away when he was working as the GM in Seattle. Trahan is a 64 overall with A potential and is in his 3rd year it looks like New Jersey has their QB. Now with QB out of the way, what do the Jets need? Well with no FS on the roster that is a position they need to address but they currently lead on Thomas Odom a 26 year old 69 overall A potential FS and are going to sign Matthew Beil a 27 year old 65 overall B- potential FS so I don’t think that's the move for them. RB and OT fall into the same category where they don’t have guys currently on the roster but are leading on guys in FA that can fill the hole. I think if the Jets miss out on 28 year old 81 overall RB Joseph Cale they could look to draft a RB. I think the Jets biggest needs are WR who despite having a 77 and 78 overall WR are getting older and on expiring deals also only going after 1 in FA leaving them with 3 total I could see them wanting to get a top young WR on the same timeline as their new QB Trahan. TE is also a decent need, not having a great option at the moment. The rest of the Jets needs are positions where they are in an ok spot for now but could use an improvement and or a young guy. Those positions are C,OLB,ILB,DE, and maybe DT but that's unlikely since they just drafted a DT at 6 last year. I think with this pick the Jets are going to grab whoever they think is the best player in the draft because at the end of the day they need guys who can come in and play at a high level all over the team. With that being said I think they draft WR Paul Canha out of Alabama. Canha is the top WR in the draft and gives them a player they know they can rely on at a position where the future holds a lot of uncertainty. Trahan hasn’t been in New Jersey for too long but this move gives him and the team a great weapon to build chemistry with for hopefully the rest of their career.

2-MIA: DT Logan Lopez, Houston

Miami has expressed a lot of interest in Canha so they certainly aren’t happy to see him off the board at 1. Miami's needs haven’t changed since my last mock. They could use DT, OLB, ILB, SS, OG, OT and TE with CB being a solid need but not as big as those other ones. I think OT, OG, and CB are deep enough that they can address those later in the draft if they want to and I think SS can wait a little more. I think that with this pick it comes down to DT, OLB, ILB, or TE and with no OLB or TE good enough to make sense drafting here it comes down to Logan Lopez or Kenny Daniel the top DT and ILB respectively. Lopez would be DT2 as soon as he is drafted and Kenny Daniel would probably be ILB2 as soon as he was drafted. ILB is a bigger need as Miami’s best ILB is worse than their best DT and expires after this season where the DT has one more year after this season. At the same time there are more top level ILB than DT in this draft class. I think this pick comes down to either Lopez or Daniel and either would be a good pick. I think Kenny Daniel is the better player but since I went him in my last mock and because DT has a weaker class I am giving Miami DT Logan Lopez and they can try and grab ILB with pick 26.

3-CAR: ILB Kenny Daniel, Wake Forest

Now in my last mock I had the Panthers drafting RB Clayton McGee but now with the top ILB available Kenny Daniel is the obvious move for them. The Panthers are also negotiating for RB Joseph Cale and the Jets missing out on him doesn’t change their pick in my eyes. The Panthers have options here so they can sign Cale in FA but if they miss out on him they can hope that Clayton McGee is available at 5. Wish I could go more in depth here but the Panthers biggest need is ILB and the top ILB is available. It's just a perfect fit.

4-NYG: RB Clayton McGee, FSU

The Giants are the first real tough pick. They could really use a lot, DE, DT, ILB, OLB, TE, RB and WR are all big needs and you can make a case for them needing to look at CB and in the future need to improve at OG. DE is a big need but they are signing 31 year old 84 overall DE Jeremy Pruitt. While not a permanent solution Pruitt has A potential so he should regress slowly making DE not a huge need now. In my last mock I gave them Logan Lopez but with him off the board drafting DT here would be a reach same with ILB. OLB and TE don’t have anyone good enough to justify drafting here. I think it could make sense to go DE Whit Wilson here because even with Pruitt on the roster Wilson would be close to the 2nd best DE on the team. The other guys that make sense are WR Logan Njoku and RB Clayton McGee. The Giants only have 2 WRs on the roster right now and neither are really great and they don’t have any RBs on the roster. I think no matter who they draft here the Giants are getting a great player. All 3 players put up great numbers in college and while Whit Wilson is a great player who would be a nice fit I think it just makes more sense to raise the floor by addressing the other needs first. I think the best pick for the Giants is Clayton McGee. He's a great RB and he should be able to thrive with the Giants who have a great IOL and two good young OTs who look promising. The WRs available in FA are better than the RBs and we are always going to have great WRs coming out of college while RB might be harder to find a guy of McGee’s caliber. On top of that the rushing attack of McGee could really help open up the offense for young Wilfredo Joseph to use his legs. The Giants could be building the premier RPO offense here.

5-CAR: DE Whit Wilson, Oklahoma State

Well RB Clayton McGee didn’t fall to them and I think if they draft McGee at 3 then Kenny Daniel goes at pick 4. With ILB being a bigger need and them potentially getting a RB in FA Daniel is more important than McGee. Now in my last mock I had them going SS Garrett Smith here and that is still a possibility. I think some other needs are OLB which again is not a smart pick here, DE they have a great DE and an ok one both in their prime but with expiring deals, CB they are ok at CB but not great so it could be a good fit, and OT they have a great OT in his prime on an expiring deal and a couple of ok OTs that they could want to improve on. I think the best move is drafting DE Whit Wilson. Wilson will come in and be around the same level as DE2 Eric Stephens who they could trade to upgrade other positions or grab some picks. I think with this pick Wilson would be a starter in his rookie year because I think the Panthers would trade Stephens or bench him to get Wilson some more snaps and with 80 overall DE Aaron Stokes 64 overall DT Caleb Suarez drafted at 5 last year and 79 overall Steven Kapfhammer the Panthers would have a great D-line that will continue to improve as Suarez and Wilson develop more and in 3 years when Stokes and Kapfhammer should be nearing the end of their primes they could have the top D-line in SimNFL. I can see the Panthers wanting to spread the talent around a bit but I don’t think any other players that make sense are as good and with 2 1st round picks next year they can focus on their other needs of OLB, WR, CB, and OT then.

6-NO: QB Hiram Maronde, UCLA

In my last mock I had the Saints taking the top CB off the board but in this mock that's not going to happen because 2 big names on the board here that weren’t in version 1.0. The first is QB Hiram Maronde, the top QB, is available and would be the day 1 starter despite them drafting Ben Rivera in the 5th last year. I think Rivera could make a good backup and since they took him in the 5th it's not like they have a huge investment in him. The other name is SS Garrett Smith, the top SS in the class and a potential generational talent for a team with no SS on the roster. Now this is a tough decision because Smith is an amazing player to add to your team, but Maronde being the best QB in the class is almost a guarantee upgrade over Rivera not just on day 1 but potentially for the rest of their careers. I think despite how great Smith is the Saints won’t be able to pass up on Maronde and will end up taking him.

7-HOU: OG Alex Hitchens, Arkansas

Now the Texans at 7 would have loved for Maronde to fall a little more and draft him since they have no QBs on the roster but with him off the board they have to look at improving other parts of the team. The Texans need DT, WR, OLB, ILB, OT, OG, SS, could use TE, and need depth at CB. Logan Njoku would be their best WR and Alex Hitchens and J'Mon Wolters the top OG and OT respectively would be great additions for them especially if they don’t re-sign OG Mohan Gupta. I think this pick comes down to one of those 3. I think while Njoku is a great WR it makes more sense to wait and grab a WR in the 2nd round since WR is a deeper class. I think either Hitchens or Wolters would be a good pick but I think Hitchens is the better choice for them. Hitchens is a better run blocker than Wolters which is a big deal for now since the Texans don’t have a strong passing game and will really let Ryan Johnson and Hue Khan run wild. This also gives them the flexibility to trade Mohan Gupta before his contract expires or if they want to re-sign him and convert one of their 3 OGs to OT.

8-ATL: SS Garrett Smith, Baylor

Atlanta would have loved to get Alex Hitchens but are hoping to sign 27 year old 78 overall OG Kyle Schneider in FA to help on that O-line. Needing DT, FS, ILB, and OG all of the top guys at positions they need are gone or not good enough to make sense drafting here. I think the Falcons could draft J’Mon Wolters here, adding a great young OT to help build their O-line and I can see them doing that but I think they go in a different direction. I think they draft SS Garrett Smith and convert him to FS. Smith would be better than SS Oscar Reyes so they could convert Reyes if they want to keep Smith at his natural position but either way they get a great player and fill one of their top needs. Smith has been described as generational with some solid man coverage but he really shines in zone coverage where he put up an insane 10.55 zone coverage grade which was the best in the class. He also got a 42 on the wonderlic which puts him in a 3 way tie for the 2nd best score in the draft class. Smith is also tied for the 8th fastest time on the 3 cone drill in the class. Smith is all around a great player and is in contention for the best player in the class and would be a huge boost to the Falcons secondary.

9-SEA: RB Richard Bianchi, Hawaii

Seattle comes down to 2 players in my mind for them it's either RB Richard Bianchi or CB Sam Voth. Voth would be a great addition to a relatively weak CB room and Bianchi will be RB1 in 1 or 2 years when John Woodward is ready to retire. I think Bianchi makes more sense for them because he’s a top RB that they need pretty soon and while CB also makes sense the guys they do have are young and have high potential so that problem might fix itself. On top of that the CB room is a bit deeper so they could address that in round 2 and you may not be able to do that with RB because the RB class is kinda thin. Another pick I wish I could say more about but they fill a hole that is going to open real soon with the best guy available at that position. I can also see them going WR Logan Njoku but like I said before WR will be available later if they want to do that and if they can’t address that they will have the chance to draft a WR next year.

10-LAC: OT J’Mon Wolters, Utah

THE CHARGERS HAVE AN OWNER. With Dean taking over for them the Chargers are ready to make some impact moves like on January 18th a couple hours before I wrote this where they traded a top FS for a couple mid 60 players and some late round draft picks this year, next year and the year after. Now if this next part sounds similar it’s probably because Jiret said the same thing in his mock but I think the Chargers draft OT J’Mon Wolters yeah they drafted Jeimer Valera at 18 last year but with Wolters being a top prospect I think it makes sense he will come in and probably be the best OT on the roster. While they could use some CB depth the CB class is loaded with a lot of really talented guys so they could kick that can down the road and draft a CB in the 2nd round.

11-JAX: CB Sam Voth, Illinois

In my version 1.0 I had the Jaguars taking CB Rashard Hilliard but with Sam Voth available they grab him instead. In version 1.0 I didn’t write a whole lot about why this makes sense because it is just kinda cut and dry that they need a CB and with Voth off the board Hilliard is the best option. Same thing here Voth is a better player than Hilliard if you just care about man which the Jaguars seem to with Franklin Kirchner their CB1 being a similar archetype. Voth comes in and is the new CB1.

12-DET

Nothing has changed with Detroit would have loved to grab one of the top RBs or Garrett Smith but they didn’t fall to them. This is kinda just a repeat of what I said in 1.0 but the best option for them is to probably trade out of this pick or trade down to grab the top OLB. Fuck it lets do it. The Detroit Lions are going to trade down with the Kansas City Chiefs at 27. The Chiefs send their 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th round pick this year and their 4th round pick next year to the Lions to move up 15 spots. They might give up less but I was just trying to match the value and since I am only doing 2 rounds and they would have to at the very least give up the 1st and 2nd it doesn’t change a bunch if the value is a little less. The Lions are happy with this as they get a lot of picks to help them build up their team more and are in a better position to draft for their other needs. I would love feedback on this trade because I would be interested in doing some trades in future mocks. Now after I am past this some smart people are saying they might not be going all in so this trade might not be the smartest idea for them but I think it’s an interesting enough perspective that I am going to keep in this mock.

12-KC: WR Logan Njoku, Kentucky

The Chiefs pay a heavy price but they move up to the 12th pick in the draft and can take someone to fill the biggest hole they still have on a roster that is still trying to win a Super Bowl. They grab the other A+ WR in the class Logan Njoku and give whoever they end up starting at QB a great weapon.

13-NYJ: ILB Davis Covey, Charlotte

Now the Jets traded for pick 13 since version 1.0 but funnily enough I don’t think that changes the pick. In version 1.0 the Vikings drafted ILB Davis Covey and with the Jets only having 1 ILB on the team and him being old and on an expiring contract they grab the best ILB available.

14-GB: CB Rashard Hilliard, Georgia State

The Packers biggest need is CB and they get the 2nd best CB in the draft. I can see them prefer Jonathan Parks over Hilliard but I am giving them Hilliard because of his better zone coverage and with great man coverage they can switch coverage types in the future with no worry. This also fits as a BPA pick which makes sense for the Packers since they don’t have any huge holes.

15-CLE: DE Vince Gresham, Oregon State

I think the Browns either go BPA CB Jonathan Parks or go DE to fill a hole and like in 1.0 I lean towards them drafting a DE. I think they go with Vince Gresham yes he’s an A- compared to the A of Ty Bogdonvic and James McKinnon but he doesn’t get the bad scheme fit malus that Ty Bogdonvic would get and is more balanced than James McKinnon which can really help a D-line that on paper looks like it will struggle to get to the QB. On top of that Gresham just looks better.

16-BAL: OT Francisco Smith, Washington

The Ravens grabbed DE David Sparacino in FA and are in a better spot now at DE and it isn’t a huge need anymore so they move and grab an OT to keep building up the trenches. Smith is the 2nd best OT in the draft and gives them a great OT as they continue to build up that O-line. The Ravens also need ILB, OLB, and SS but nobody worth at those positions is worth taking at this point in the draft. 

17-NE: OT Brad Adams, San Diego State

I think the Patriots could still use a DE but they have some other needs and for version 2.0 I want to explore them going in a different direction. Roosevelt Penn is in the last year of his contract and while the Patriots probably re-sign him they could use some help on the O-line to help protect Rashaan Lyons. Since the Patriots run game is non-existent any O-lineman they draft would have to be a pass blocker. While it makes sense to upgrade OG or C before OT none of the top OG or C are great pass blockers. So the Patriots grab the best A- or better pass blocker in the draft with Brad Adams. Adams is a really underrated OT who gets overlooked because of the bigger names but if you're looking for a pass blocker he’s one of the best options scoring the 6th best pass block grade at the combine.

18-BUF

Buffalo could go a couple different directions and I think that they might want to stick with Matt McCants for a little longer to see if he can pan out. They decide to move down where they can address their needs without reaching too much. Now they have to find a trade partner and I can see the trade happy Panthers being the team to bite. The Panthers trade the 32nd pick, the 69th pick, the 102nd pick and the 206th pick which is a 1st, a 3rd, a 4th, and a 7th this year for the 18th pick, the 181st pick, the 193rd pick, and the 219th pick which is a 1st, 2 6ths, and a 7th. Buffalo moves down and gets a couple mid round picks this year to help them build their team up more.

18-CAR: CB Jonathan Parks, Ohio

Carolina pays a 3rd and a 4th to avoid giving up the 37th pick which they want to use to draft another impact player and that's also why they move up. The Panthers have shown that they love players who can make a big impact so they move up to grab a player who can make a real impact at a position of need. Jonathan Parks is the type of player the Panthers look for. While not the best coverage wise his great ball hawking ability allows him to change the course of a game with one play. This helps get the Panthers dynamic offense back on the field and combined with their other picks in this draft really overhauls this defense. If the Panthers can sign RB Joseph Cale then the last big hole on their roster is OLB which they can address at the start of round 2. The Panthers also move ahead of Chicago at pick 21 who could be tempted by Parks.

19-TB: C Ruben Shazier, Alabama

TAMPA BAY ALSO HAVE A STAFF NOW Ape and Dakotagreer are sailing the blue seas and are ready to plunder your best players. I think their biggest focus here is one of C, TE, or WR with no C or TE on the roster I think they prioritize them first, but they also could really use some WRs despite taking WR LaAdrian Buchanan in the 2nd last year. I think this is pretty cut and dry with no TEs worth taking here and with a couple young WRs they grab a C that can be the future centerpiece of their offensive line. You could argue that Ruben Shazier is not the best C in the draft but he's a real smart player who had the highest grade in the run block drill in the entire combine. With RBs Max Smith and Chris Williams and a scrambling QB in Gregory Taphorn they get a guy who will be a monster in the run game to complete an IOL group that is great at run blocking not to mention how much he can learn from veteran OG William Chittum one of the best run blockers in the league with 96 strength and run blocking. I had the Bucs taking Shazier in version 1.0 of my mock and while that hasn’t changed I am even higher on this pick and fit for them Shazier will be a monster and is the 2nd Alabama player taken in the top
 

[Spoof]

I like your thinking for 13... I should have done that

[kgreene829]

4 minutes ago, Spoof said:

I like your thinking for 13... I should have done that

You will be fine still some good ILBs available and at 23 you grab a good ILB Carlos Blacknall, Tyler Bradley, and Joe Yanda might not be as good as Covey but still look like good prospects