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For this mock draft I used the updated standings (as of Week 7’s completion) as the draft order. For my first mock of the year I wanted to get one out that would put me in the shoes of the G.M. If I was in charge, who would I pick based on team needs, personnel, and overall grade of the prospect. Let’s get started.
1.1 Cincinnati Bengals
The pick: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
The Andy Dalton era seems to be coming to an end, and although Tua is not the top quarterback on my board, it just seems to be the perfect fit. Zac Taylor gets his versatile and athletic signal caller to finally give all the explosive weapons on this offense a QB that can accurately place the ball and get them into space. Tua will be behind a bad offensive line but because of his rush and athletic upside he will have the best chance to succeed out of the rookie Quarterbacks that are on the board.
1.2 Miami Dolphins
The pick: Chase Young, EDGE, Ohio State
The Dolphins are going to take a quarterback in this draft; they have to. But with Tua gone they just need to add as much talent as they can. Chase Young is the best player in this draft and the Dolphins, in order to put a young QB in a place to succeed, must add talent on the roster and Chase Young is as good as advertised, and can complete a solid young defensive line with Christian Wilkins, and Taco Charlton if they decide to bring him back.
1.3 Washington Redskins
The pick: Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia
Trent Williams is not going to be in Washington much longer. Whether he gets traded to a team like Minnesota or Cleveland, or he just flat out calls it quits and retires because he does not want to be in Washington. Andrew Thomas is the perfect plug and play tackle to replace him, and if Washington does believe Haskins is the future and is their franchise quarterback, they need to put him in the best place to succeed, and that starts with protecting him.
1.4 Atlanta Falcons
The pick: Jeffrey Okudah, CB, Ohio State
Atlanta just needs help on the defensive side of the ball. Anywhere they can find it. Okudah is the best pure cover corner in the draft and if healthy the Falcons have studs at every other level of the defense in Grady Jarrett, Deion Jones and Keanu Neal. You add Okudah to the secondary and this defense can force turnovers and put the offense in great position to succeed under the new head coach because Dan Quinn is as good as gone.
1.5 New York Jets
The pick: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama
The Jets are loaded with young talent on both sides of the ball (Sam Darnold, Le’Veon Bell, Quinnen Williams and Jamal Adams) they are in a position to just add the BPA whoever that may be. With Thomas gone I don’t see the Jets going offensive line here and with Okudah gone I don’t see a replacement for Trumaine Johnson; so, let’s surround Sam Darnold with the best wide receiver prospect we may have ever seen. I expect a big jump from Darnold next season and giving him a premier number one receiver in Jeudy will only push him higher to his ceiling.
1.6 New York Giants
The pick: Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson
I love this player. Simmons is a versatile difference maker all over the defense; and the Giants need playmakers on defense after letting Landon Collins and Olivier Vernon go. Simmons can be the defensive signal caller and line up all over the field at linebacker, safety, nickel and add pass rush help off the edge. He’s a perfect fit for a defense looking for speed, playmaking ability and versatility.
1.7 Los Angeles Chargers
The pick: Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa
I would not be shocked if the Chargers pulled the trigger on a young QB to replace the aging and immobile Philp Rivers. However, the offensive line is very bad and cannot seem to stay healthy. Even when Okung comes back there are still some question marks along the front five/ Wirfs can come in and be a franchise tackle to protect Rivers, or whoever else will be under center in the future as the Chargers look to forget about this season, and move back towards being an AFC powerhouse in the coming years.
1.8 Denver Broncos
The pick: Grant Delpit, S, LSU
Like the Chargers it would not surprise me if Denver took a long hard look at Herbert or Fromm here. But I believe in Lock at the very least can be a bridge QB for the next guy until you get your other holes on the roster fixed. I went with Delpit here because the talent is obvious, and with Chris Harris seemingly out the door the Broncos are going to need a new leader in the secondary, and with Delpit’s ability to range all over the field he will make an immediate impact on the defense.
1.9 Cleveland Browns
The pick: Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU
The common pick here would be reaching for one of the offensive linemen on the board as the Browns have serious question marks in protection. With that being said I see John Dorsey going out and getting Trent Williams, so the left tackle position seems to be solidified. The next area of concern is the secondary, and with Delpit off the board the Browns elect for his teammate in Fulton. The Browns just need to keep adding young talent and hope it all comes together and with the secondary spots alongside Denzel Ward still somewhat of a question mark, Fulton makes sense here.
1.10 Miami Dolphins (PIT)
The pick: Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon
The Dolphins find their franchise QB in Herbert here. Like with Tua; Herbert is not my QB1, but the fit here makes too much sense. Big arm, tall frame, quick decisions are all of what Herbert can do really well, and he has a blazing rocket arm. The Dolphins want excitement and Herbert has been talked about for the past two seasons as a top tier quarterback prospect. I love Josh Rosen, but this organization doesn’t seem to so it’s time to pick your guy. This roster has a lot of holes but solidifying two of the three most important positions in football with your top ten picks is a win for Miami.
1.11 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The pick: AJ Epenesa, EDGE, Iowa
It would make a lot of sense to go quarterback here; Jameis clearly is not the answer at QB and they need to find a replacement for him. With that being said I just don’t see anyone at this spot that I feel Bruce Arians would be attached to. I love both Burrow and Fromm, but Arians works best with a strong-armed quarterback and both of those guys are not the best at throwing the long ball. One of the best ways to help your own quarterback is for the defense to get pressure on the opponent’s. Epenesa fills a big void on this team and is now the Bucs have difference makers at the first and second levels of the defense with Epenesa and Devin White.
1.12 Detroit Lions
The pick: Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford
The Lions have been a pleasant surprise this season, being competitive in nearly all of their games. Still there are some flaws on this team and now with the trade of Quandre Diggs this secondary just got a little bit worse, and with Darius Slay not getting any younger it’s time to try and find another shutdown defender on the backend. Insert Paulson Adebo to take over that spot.
1.13 Jacksonville Jaguars
The pick: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma
This is one of the “well duh” picks in this mock. This pick makes way too much sense. As good as DJ Chark has been this season, and how good we all think Dede Westbrook can be; the Jaguars need more playmakers on the outside. Insert deep threat CeeDee Lamb and you’ve got a big play vertical threat on the outside for Foles or Minshew to target and open the offense up a lot more.
1.14 Tennessee Titans
The pick: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
I love Joe Burrow. He’s got accuracy, athletic ability and is a perfect leader for a locker room lacking a vocal and dominant leader at the QB position. Mariota has just been way too inconsistent to continue at QB this season and it is time to move on. I think this is the perfect situation for both Burrow and Tennessee. Tennessee has a dynamic defense, playmaker all over the offense in Brown, Davis, Henry and Walker; and a good offensive line. All they need is a quarterback that can deliver the ball accurately on a more consistent basis. And for Burrow he won’t have a lot of pressure on him to perform as well because he will have the playmakers and the defense to support him and keep him in games when a mistake is made.
1.15 Philadelphia Eagles
The pick: Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama
Philadelphia has an insane amount of talent on both sides of the ball. One of the best rosters in the NFL everywhere… except the back end of the defense. This secondary is god awful and is always plagued with injuries at corner. Sidney Jones hasn’t been the player we saw in college, and the depth behind Darby and Mills is pitiful. Diggs is a physical corner that can bring an edge to the defense and add depth to the weakest part of the team.
1.16 Oakland Raiders (CHI)
The pick: Derrick Brown, DL, Auburn
This is not necessarily a weak point of the Oakland Raiders, very well could be the deepest position on the roster with PJ Hall, Jonathan Hankins and Maurice Hurst. But Oakland just needs to pile on talent with these picks they have accumulated, and Derrick Brown is by far the best player on the board at this point. Take him and have no regrets.
1.17 Arizona Cardinals
The pick: Tyler Biadasz, IOL, Wisconsin
Protect Kyler Murray. At all costs. That needs to be the focus for the Arizona Cardinals this offseason who has one of the worst offensive lines in football. Biadasz can be a plug and play interior offensive linemen that can be used as a center or a guard for the Cardinals. Kyler needs to be the focus for Arizona. They went all in on this guy then they need to give him the tools necessary to succeed.
1.18 Oakland Raiders
The pick: Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama
Going back to adding talent for Oakland. They have built a very good and underrated receiving core with Tyrell Williams, Hunter Renfrow and emerging star tight end Darren Waller. But they lack the big play receiver that has speed and athletic ability to get downfield. Ruggs is exactly that with 4.2 speed and elite agility and elusiveness. If he gets in space, he is gone. Carr would have a lot of fun throwing to this guy.
1.19 Jacksonville Jaguars (LAR)
The pick: Yetur Gross-Matos, EDGE, Penn State
Rumors have been swirling that the Jaguars might be trading Yannick Ngakoue. True or not the Jaguars got an aging defensive lineman in Calais Campbell, and they have shown in the past that no matter how much depth they have they can add more by drafting Taven Bryan and Josh Allen in the past few years. Gross-Matos gives them a relentless finisher with extremely high pass rushing upside even if the position is already a strength.
1.20 Carolina Panthers
The pick: Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma
In these early mocks I try to keep things different and diverse and this pick kind of came out of left field, but I think the Panthers know they need to move off of Cam Newton, and I don’t think Kyle Allen is a franchise QB. Insert Heisman trophy candidate Jalen Hurts who has been lights out all season long and has immensely increased and improved his draft stock. Panthers can a young and smart QB with big play ability without the injury history or contract that Cam possesses.
1.21 Dallas Cowboys
The pick: Raekwon Davis, DL, Alabama
When it is all said and done, I expect Davis to be going a lot higher than the 20s, with that being said Dallas likes its depth up front, and Davis is a lengthy and powerful machine on the interior with tremendous physical traits. Dallas likes to build the depth up front on the defensive line and they take somebody that is steadily becoming more and more dominant at Alabama.
1.22 Miami Dolphins (HOU)
The pick: Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama
Trade away a left tackle to the Houston Texans. What do you take with the Houston Texans first round pick? A new left tackle. You’ve got your franchise QB, you’ve got your speed and powerful edge rusher, the last of the 3 most important positions in football is a left tackle. I don’t know if Leatherwood projects more as a left or a right tackle, but Miami needs a replacement for Tunsil and a protection plan for their new QB so insert the Alabama offensive linemen.
1.23 Indianapolis Colts
The pick: Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama
The Colts have an incredibly young and deep roster. So out of any team that could wait on an injured player, it would be them. Moses would have certainly been a top 15 lock if he hadn’t gotten hurt. Teams have seen how well Jaylon Smith has recovered and transitioned from his injury; Moses’ injury isn’t as severe, but the talent level is almost equal. Indianapolis pairs Moses with Leonard and they have the best young linebacker duo in the entire NFL.
1.24 Seattle Seahawks
The pick: Javon Kinlaw, DL, South Carolina
Like Jacksonville, the Seattle Seahawks have no problem with using early picks on depth. They did it this past year with LJ Collier, and they do it again here with one of my sleep picks this year Javon Kinlaw. An athletic freak with a wicked first move and ability to get into the backfield. He is raw, but the upside is there and with Seattle having Collier and Clowney and Reed upfront, they can groom Kinlaw as a situational and depth player with pro bowl upside.
1.25 Baltimore Ravens
The pick: Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson
I know Baltimore was hoping to see Dylan Moses’ name still on the board here at 25 to be the replacement for CJ Mosley, but with him off the board it’s time to surround Lamar Jackson with more weapons. He has a running game in Mark Ingram. He has a downfield target in Marquise Brown. Why not add another vertical threat to the offense and just make it go crazy? Will it happen? Probably not, but I can dream right?
1.26 Minnesota Vikings
The pick: Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia
As both a Vikings fan, and a Jake Fromm enthusiast you might be seeing some bias here, but I do not put my fan bias’s into account when writing or podcasting. This just so happens to be how the board fell, and with how Fromm has played the past few weeks his draft stock could be in this range. The Vikings are in a make or break season with Kirk Cousins, but with him still being under contract next year, if they decide to hold onto him Fromm can sit a year and learn and mature to clean up his mistakes before taking under center in 2021.
1.27 Buffalo Bills
The pick: Laviska Shenault, WR, Colorado
Another one of my favorite prospects in this class. Shenault is a big time play just waiting to happen. He is an elite receiver when it comes to yards after catch, and receptions. He is a guy that can create something from nothing and is one of the most versatile players in this draft on the offensive side of the ball. Every first round QB from the 2018 draft class was given a weapon on offense except Allen this past season (excluding Rosen… poor guy). Darnold got Bell. Baker got OBJ. Lamar got Ingram and Marquise Brown. It is Josh Allen’s turn here with Shenault on the outside.
1.28 New Orleans Saints
The pick: Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama
The Saints could be looking at QB here to replace an aging Brees, but with the way Teddy has played it seems he’s got that job secured so the Saints take the best player available here. A very versatile secondary player that plays a lot like a former crimson tide member of the secondary in Minkah Fitzpatrick. McKinney can be a swiss army knife player for the Saints secondary playing over the top, as a box safety or a nickel corner.
1.29 Kansas City Chiefs
The pick: D’Andre Swift, RB, Georgia
This would be a home run for the Chiefs. Yes, I know they have a serious problem on defense. A very serious problem on defense. But one player will not fix the defense, and I do not love the secondary names on the board here to reach for them. The best way to disguise a bad defense is to keep scoring points. Mahomes can do that, but his running game has been sufficient at best. Plug in Swift and the quickness and elusiveness will completely open up the Chiefs playbook. No flaws in his game at all regarding running and catching the ball. Swift can be this decade’s version of Jamaal Charles.
1.30 Green Bay Packers
The pick: Collin Johnson, WR, Texas
This WR class is stacked. But Collin Johnson is my personal favorite in this class. He has battled so much and is a physical football player. Aaron Rodgers has been throwing at Allen Lazard, Jake Cumerow and a group of late round WRs for too long. Give him a legit third receiver on this offense behind Adams and MVS and watch what this guy can do.
1.31 San Francisco 49ers
The pick: AJ Terrell, CB, Clemson
The 49ers have been the best and biggest story of the 2019 NFL season so far. They seem to lack depth at cornerback even though their corners have been playing lights out. Terrell is an athletic and fluid corner that can be used in multiple coverage looks. Sherman is not getting any younger and the 49ers have every other level of their defense close to elite status. Terrell can be a big asset for this ascending football team.
1.32 New England Patriots
The pick: Albert Okwuegbunam, TE, Missouri
I have had this pick highlighted for over a year now. It makes too much sense. A big physical tight end with incredible hands going to the Patriots. It just makes way too much sense. Okweugbunam has been considered by most to be the best tight end in the country for almost a year now and New England adds to the arsenal for the ageless wonder Tom Brady.
Notable names not selected: Travis Etienne, Jonathan Taylor, Creed Humphrey, Shaun Wade.
