With the NFL Draft only a matter of hours away, what better time than now to release my one and only mock draft! What on Earth is a mock draft you say? Good question.
Essentially, it is a prediction of which player each team will select during the NFL Draft.
These predictions are based on what areas of need each team has and which players are available when that team comes to make their selection.
Due to the wildly unpredictable nature of the NFL, and the fact that teams can trade draft picks with one another, the success rate in conducting a mock draft hovers around 3-5 per cent. But it’s a bit of fun, so let’s get on with it.
1. Los Angeles Rams – Jared Goff (quarterback)
It’s all playing out like the script of a bad Hollywood movie. The team uproots and moves from St Louis to LA, mortgages their future by trading a boatload of current and future draft picks to move into the top overall spot, and drafts a quarterback.
But not just any quarterback. Goff is a Cali native, has the chiselled good looks to fill a billboard, and incidentally is not a bad football player.
2. Philadelphia Eagles – Carson Wentz (quarterback)
Like the Rams, the Eagles traded their way into the upper reaches of the first round in order to select a quarterback. This is a strange move, after recently extending the lucrative contract of existing starter Sam Bradford and then inking expensive back-up Chase Daniel.
But love makes you do silly things, and the Eagles have fallen hard for the North Dakota native.
3. San Diego Chargers – Laremy Tunsil (offensive tackle)
No brainer here. San Diego’s offensive line has been putrid for years, and Tunsil is the type of player you can stick at left tackle and forget about the position for a decade.
4. Dallas Cowboys – Joey Bosa (defensive end)
The Cowboys have thankfully rid themselves of the cancerous Greg Hardy, but his removal greatly weakens the pass rush. Bosa comes with his own baggage, but for a team with Super Bowl aspirations, they can’t ignore him here.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars – Jalen Ramsey (defensive back)
The Jaguars’ defence will look remarkably different, and actually intimidating, when it takes the field in 2016. With 2015 first rounder Dante Fowler due back after tearing his ACL in training camp, and marquee signing Malik Jackson strengthening the defensive line, Ramsey would join Prince Amukamara and Jonathan Cyprien to form a formidable defensive backfield.
6. Baltimore Ravens – DeForest Buckner (defensive end)
As per usual, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome simply sits back and allows the madness of the draft to unfold around him. And as usual, a blue-chip talent falls into his lap. The Ravens draft officials would sprint to the podium to lock in Buckner if he is still available here.
7. San Francisco 49ers – Ronnie Stanley (offensive tackle)
The 49ers will seriously consider a quarterback here. Colin Kaepernick has openly expressed interest in leaving, and if San Fran could obtain suitable compensation, would be happy to accommodate him. But with both top quarterbacks off the board, a safer option here would be to replenish an ageing offensive line.
Stanley is the second-best tackle in the draft, and could eventually replace Joe Staley on the left side of the 49ers’ line.
8. Cleveland Browns – Jack Conklin (offensive tackle)
I fully expect the Browns to trade down again. They have so many needs across the entire roster, and there will be quarterback-hungry teams looking to move into the top ten and have a crack at Paxton Lynch. If they do stay in this pick, Conklin makes sense, as they recently let right tackle Mitchell Schwartz walk, and are looking to trade All Pro left tackle Joe Thomas.
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Vernon Hargreaves III (cornerback)
The Bucs were atrocious against the pass last season. In a division where they play Cam Newton, Drew Brees and Matt Ryan twice per season, they must get better at defending the pass. Hargreaves is the top corner available at this point, so this makes too much sense not to happen.
10. New York Giants – Ezekiel Elliott (running back)
The Giants are very thin at safety, but there is no option available at that position worthy of a top ten selection. So instead the G-Men shift their attention to the other side of the ball, and snaffle up the best running back in the draft.
11. Chicago Bears – Sheldon Rankins (defensive tackle)
The Bears need a big body inside to support a permeable run defence, and Rankins fits the bill. With the loss of Martellus Bennett, tight end could be a consideration, but there is no one in this year’s draft class worthy of selecting this high.
12. New Orleans Saints – Paxton Lynch (quarterback)
Drew Brees has another year or two left in his right arm, but at 37 years old, the Saints really need to start planning for the future. Lynch would benefit immensely from sitting behind Brees for a year or two and refining his craft.
13. Miami Dolphins – Myles Jack (outside linebacker)
If it hadn’t been for the torn meniscus in his knee, Jack would have been a consensus top-five pick. However, reports have been mixed on the progress of the injury, with some suggesting further surgery and subsequent time on the sidelines will be needed. The Dolphins need help at linebacker, so they take the risk.
14. Oakland Raiders – Eli Apple (cornerback)
Reggie Mackenzie has orchestrated improvement across the entire Raiders roster, transforming them from a laughing stock to legitimate play-off contenders. Corner is still an area of weakness though, and an obvious need to address through the draft. Apple is undersized by today’s standards, but a fierce competitor.
15. Tennessee Titans – Taylor Decker (offensive tackle)
There’s a reason that the Titans were predicted to take Laremy Tunsil with the first overall pick – their offensive line stinks. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt was sacked in 2015 for not protecting rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota, and the new coaching staff won’t make the same mistake.
16. Detroit Lions – Laquon Treadwell (wide receiver)
The retirement of future hall of famer Calvin Johnson leaves a gaping hole at wide receiver that no one man can fill. But the Lions still need to try. Treadwell was a consensus top-ten pick until he ran a slow 40 time at his pro day. However, he plays much faster than this time suggests, and is the top receiver in this draft.
17. Atlanta Falcons – Shaq Lawson (defensive end)
Head coach Dan Quinn loves him some defence. Coming from such a dominant unit in Seattle, Quinn is desperate to assemble a similar unit for the Dirty Birds. Last year’s top pick Vic Beasley was a good start, but further reinforcements are needed.
18. Indianapolis Colts – Ryan Kelly (centre)
Every year the Colts seem to be in desperate need of help along the offensive line, but rarely seem to address it. But coming off a season where quarterback Andrew Luck barely saw the field due to the constant beatings he absorbed, the Colts can ignore the position no longer.
19. Buffalo Bills – Robert Nkemdiche (defensive line)
Nkemdiche is another prospect that was predicted to be off the board in the top five before a litany of off-field incidents saw him plummet in most team’s estimations. But Buffalo coach Rex Ryan doesn’t care. He just sees the incredible talent on offer, and will figure the rest out later.
20. New York Jets – Will Fuller (wide receiver)
The Jets got excellent production out of Brandon Marshall last year. But he is getting on in years, and has the nasty habit of excelling in his first season for a new team before slowly turning into a locker-room cancer. Better to draft his replacement now.
21. Washington Redskins – Keanu Neal (safety)
The signing of Josh Norman from the Panthers means corner is no longer a priority, but Washington is still thin at safety. Neal might seem like a bit of a reach here, but the Redskins don’t care what you think, and take him anyway.
22. Houston Texans – Corey Coleman (wide receiver)
The Texans need a speed receiver to occupy the field opposite DeAndre Hopkins, and Coleman certainly meets that criteria. Combined with the signing of running back Lamar Miller, another receiver will give newly signed quarterback Brock Osweiler an impressive selection of weapons.
23. Minnesota Vikings – Kevin Dodd (defensive end)
In a division where you are trying to stop Aaron Rodgers, you can never have too many pass rushers. Dodd has issues with consistency, and only has a year of solid tape, but his upside is huge.
24. Cincinnati Bengals – Josh Doctson (wide receiver)
The Bengals watched their number two and three receivers walk out the door over the off-season, turning a position of strength into a glaring weakness. Doctson would be a nice accompaniment to superstar AJ Green.
25. Pittsburgh Steelers – William Jackson III (corner)
The Steelers have invested a lot of high picks on the defensive side of the ball in recent years, but have failed to address the corner position. This was certainly a weakness of their defence in 2015, and Jackson is the best corner left available.
26. Seattle Seahawks – Germain Ifedi (offensive tackle)
With left tackle Russell Okung now in Denver, the porous Seattle offensive line just became a national state of emergency. Ifedi would go some way as to addressing the issue.
27. Green Bay Packers – Leonard Floyd (linebacker)
Green Bay’s roster is blessed with very few, if any, glaring areas of need. This allows general manager Ted Thompson to simply take the best player available, which in this case is Floyd.
28. Kanas City Chiefs – Reggie Ragland (linebacker)
A cornerback probably makes more sense here, but none of the available options are that appealing. Instead, the Chiefs draft Derrick Johnson’s heir in Ragland. A true sideline to sideline linebacker, Reggie will inject speed and enthusiasm into an already fearsome defence.
29. Arizona Cardinals – Noah Spence (outside linebacker)
The Cardinals somewhat addressed their pass rush deficiency by trading for Chandler Jones, but further help is needed as they make another run at the Super Bowl.
30. Carolina Panthers – Derrick Henry (running back)
The Panthers got sensational play out of an ageing Jonathon Stewart last season, but history would suggest he is unlikely to sustain that level of play for another gruelling campaign. Henry is a big, bruising tailback who will suit the run-heavy Carolina offence.
31. Denver Broncos – Connor Cook (quarterback)
Unless the Broncos can come to terms with the 49ers on a deal for Colin Kaepernick, they are looking at starting Mark Sanchez under centre in 2016. No team deserves that.
While Cook has issues with accuracy and leadership, he still represents a major upgrade over what they currently have.
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