Just a few short weeks ago, my first mock draft was posted. Now we’re closing in on the Super Bowl and the draft order is pretty much set unless Chip Kelly makes a trade to get in the top 5 where he’ll be able to take Marcus Mariota. For now, this is an update as the Senior Bowl is approaching and causing some players to shift up and down draft boards.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — QB from Florida State — Jameis Winston — You begin to get a feeling that Marcus Mariota is going to start falling down draft boards due to his poor play against Ohio State. Jameis has the upside with his deep ball and his huge frame at 6’5″. However the only thing that is keeping him from being the lock at first overall, is his off the field issues. I’m not a fan of him but I know that the Tampa Bay organization is going to fall in love with his ability and with weapons like Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson, he’s going to have no excuse to be good on the field. Off the field is a totally other question.
2. Tennessee Titans — QB from Oregon — Marcus Mariota — The Titans are in a prime position to trade down with just about anyone and that team could very well be the Philadelphia Eagles. Chip Kelly has stated that he will do whatever it takes to grab Mariota and I would believe he would give up Nick Foles and 2 or 3 first round picks for him. So for now, the Titans will take Mariota for the simple fact that the Eagles might be up to trading for him and the fact that they don’t have a quarterback on their roster.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars — DT from USC — Leonard Williams — He’s the best player in the draft and could very well go first to Tampa to give them the best defensive front in football . The Jaguars will be sitting here licking their lips waiting for Williams to fall into their lap.
4. Oakland Raiders — WR from Alabama — Amari Cooper — New head coach, Jack Del Rio, has stated that the Raiders need to get quarterback Derek Carr some weapons and they could very well do so in the mid rounds but the best overall talent at the wide out position is Cooper. He’s sitting there and would be an instant upgrade for their offense.
5. Washington Redskins — DE from Nebraska — Randy Gregory — With Shawn Oakman staying for another year at Baylor, Gregory is the clear-cut favorite as the top defensive end in the draft. He’s still on the board and will be a top 5 pick, regardless. I think he’s most comparable to Ziggy Ansah and should be able to fit in any defensive scheme.
6. New York Jets — DE/OLB from Missouri — Shane Ray — As much as Danta Fowler is climbing up my board, I still prefer Ray over him. Ray has excellent skill off the edge thanks to his speed. He’s not as complete as a player as Folwer or Gregory but the Jets are going to love to use him in Todd Bowles’ blitzing defense.
7. Chicago Bears — S from Alabama — Landon Collins — One of the few picks that are going to stay the same from my first mock. The Bears are in desperate need of fixing their defense, especially in the secondary. Fixing the defense should be a common theme this year for the Bears with John Fox now in charge.
8. Atlanta Falcons — DT from Washington — Danny Shelton — Despite Malcolm Brown being 2nd on my board at defensive tackle, Danny Shelton has been on the climb throughout the Senior Bowl and I wouldn’t be surprised if he slips in front of Brown. Shelton is stout at 6’2 but is 320 pounds and is a great two-gap player. The Falcons have a great need on their defensive line and they could begin to fix it with Shelton.
10. St. Louis Rams — OT from Pittsburgh — TJ Clemmings — The Rams went with a Pittsburgh Panther last year in Aaron Donald and I wouldn’t be surprised if they do it again here. Clemmings is climbing up the boards quickly and to me he’s emerged as the 2nd best offensive lineman in the draft. He could transition nicely to the left tackle position to move Jake Long over to the right side but either way, Clemmings allows a lot of flexibility on their offensive line.
11. Minnesota Vikings — DE from Florida — Dante Fowler Jr. — The Vikings could go with upgrading their offensive line and protecting Teddy Bridgewater but since Jared Allen left, their pass rush is missing something. I think Fowler is that missing piece at 6’2″ and 260 pounds as he can play standing up or play with his hand down. Additionally he would be a nice complement to Anthony Barr.
12. Cleveland Browns — DT from Texas — Malcolm Brown — Despite Danny Shelton climbing in front of him, Brown will stay put for the Browns. The receiver depth is extremely deep this year and the Browns have two first round picks. Brown to me is comparable to Gerald McCoy and has an initial burst that is best in the draft for his position. He should be an instant starter for the Browns.
13. New Orleans Saints — OLB from Clemson — Vic Beasley — Possibly the best OLB in the draft depending on what you classify Shane Ray as but at the end of the day, the Saints need help off the edge and Beasley would be a huge upgrade over what they currently have at the position. He slips down my draft board because of the fact that’s he too undersized to be considered a defensive end.
14. Miami Dolphins — WR from West Virginia — Kevin White — The Dolphins have a nice play-maker in Jarvis Landry and they still have Mike Wallace but it sounds like they’re starting to get tired of Wallace lacking leadership. The Dolphins could use another weapon to help make Ryan Tannehill be a better quarterback and hopefully, it helps him get over the hump of average to great. Kevin White is without question the 2nd best receiver in the draft and I think his size of 6’3″ will allow him to draw a lot of double coverage’s.
15. San Francisco 49ers — WR from Oklahoma — Dorial Green-Beckham — Someone is going to fall in love with this guys play-making ability as he was the number one prospect coming out of high school. If Winston can go number one with his off the field issues, then Green-Beckham can go in the first round with his. The 49ers need to start preparing for the future without an aging Anquan Boldin and a Michael Crabtree who is set to hit the market.
16. Houston Texans — CB from Florida State — PJ Williams — Williams was the MVP in the National Championship as a sophomore and despite only having one interception on the year, he played really good coverage and was a great open field tackler. The Texans could use that ability in their secondary as Jonathan Joseph is getting older and Kareem Jackson is set to hit free agency.
17. San Diego Chargers — RB from Wisconsin — Melvin Gordon — The best running back in the draft could very well slip out of the top 10 of the draft. We’ll see how Gordon’s off-season goes but for now, Ryan Mathews is set to hit the market and probably won’t be brought back. Not to mention I doubt the Chargers believe in just Brandon Oliver, Danny Woodhead and Donald Brown. Gordon could carry the load all game long and would allow some of their other backs to become trade bait.
19. Cleveland Browns — WR from Louisville — DeVante Parker — For his size he’s a very fluid athlete but injury concerns have him dropping down some of the mock drafts. Mine included. Overall though, Josh Gordon has too many issues to not upgrade the position. Whether they have a quarterback or not, they need to upgrade at receiver.
21. Cincinnati Bengals — DE from Kentucky — Alvin Dupree — When Michael Johnson left, the Bengals pass rush and run defense got pretty bad. Alvin Dupree has a lot of upside and could slip into the top 15 of the draft but I think he’s best fitted in the mid to late 1st round where a team like the Bengals could really utilize his skill set. At 6’4″ and 265 lbs., Dupree has the ability to be effective in a 3-4 and 4-3 defense.
27. Denver Broncos — TE from Minnesota — Maxx Williams — I wouldn’t be shocked if Julius Thomas walks away from the Broncos to take more money elsewhere. The Broncos’ main goal should be to upgrade the tight end position while also trying to keep DeMariyus Thomas. Williams is climbing up draft boards everywhere and his tape is starting to make some heads turn as he’s being compared to Jason Witten. He’s a better blocker than Thomas and I think he could turn out to be a better player.
28. Dallas Cowboys — ILB from Mississippi State — Benadrick McKinley — I’ll be shocked if McKinley stays at this spot in the draft. I’m almost positive that McKinley will go sooner but until his combine and pro days, I have him as a late first round pick. The Cowboys have Sean Lee and Bruce Carter but they could upgrade Durant with McKinley.
29. Indianapolis Colts — DT from Florida State — Eddie Goldman — If Reggie Wayne retires, don’t be surprised if the Colts go with a wide-out. With Goldman still on the board and being the best player available, I would think the Colts go with him. Goldman’s got great size and speed plus the ability to slip through the gaps and make big plays. Goldman could become a spark plug for their average defensive line.
30. Green Bay Packers — OT from Miami (FL) — Ereck Flowers — Flowers played left tackle at Miami but may need to move to the right side in the NFL. Flowers is light on his feet and balanced in pass protection. He’s aggressive and active as a run blocker while Bryan Bulaga has an injury prone past and is set to hit the market. So selecting Flowers to replace him makes sense.
31. New England Patriots — WR from Michigan — Devin Funchess — The Patriots offense has been great this year but it took them awhile to catch their footing. I think losing Aaron Hernandez played a big part in that. Funchess is comparable to Hernandez in a lot of ways and has a vertical presence that some players don’t possess. He could play both tight end and wide receiver and should be valued near the end of the first round to early second round.
32. Seattle Seahawks — WR from Auburn — Sammie Coates — Jermaine Kearse, Doug Baldwin and Paul Richardson were alright but this offense has lacked a speedy play-maker since Percy Harvin got traded to the New York Jets. Coates has some game changing speed and should be someone who could come in and make a difference as Marshawn Lynch might be let go and Richardson recovers from injury.
