The college football season has about four weeks left before bowl games and we’re getting a better idea of how good these prospects are every week. The NFL trade deadline is behind us now that we are halfway done with the season, and team needs are becoming more and more clear. What better time to roll out an early mock draft? The draft order will be based on the worst records in the league right now. Without further ado, let’s get into it.
1st Overall Detroit Lions: EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux- Oregon
The Detroit Lions have so many holes and every position is on the table for them in this draft. There is no quarterback worthy of going first overall this year and they have the option to ride it out with Jared Goff and see what happens. Thibodeaux has come back from injury and has been absolutely obliterating every blocker that comes his way. Since returning he has played three games and has put up 3 sacks, 5 QB hits, 12 tackles, a forced fumble, and a whopping 5.5 tackles for loss in those three games. Kayvon is a 6’5″ 260-pound freak athlete who has the potential to be as good as someone like Myles Garrett.
2nd Overall Houston Texans: CB Derek Stingley Jr.- LSU
There is a bevy of holes on this football team and there are no quarterbacks worth taking here to replace Deshaun Watson, hence why I believe Nick Caserio will opt to take one of the best defenders in the draft with Derek Stingley Jr. One of the biggest parts of LSU’s national championship run was their true freshman lockdown cornerback. He has a great frame and plays with exceptional technique which bodes well for a smooth transition into the NFL. The Texans will need someone capable of locking up the likes of A.J. Brown, Julio Jones, Michael Pittman Jr, or D.J. Chark, and Stingley Jr. will be exactly the guy for the job.
3rd Overall Philidelphia Eagles: SAF Kyle Hamilton- Notre Dame
The Eagles are on track to have three top ten picks and they should go BPA with each pick. With Kyle Hamilton, Philly is getting one of the most versatile defenders in recent memory. For starters, he is a hulking 6’4″ 220 pounds yet has the athleticism and technical discipline to play as a single high deep safety. He may be able to play free safety but his role should never be limited to just one position, he has the athleticism and technique to cover in the slot, the high football IQ to play in the box, the size to get after the passer, and the speed to be a sideline to sideline deep safety. The Eagles would hit a home run here with Kyle Hamilton.
4th Overall Jacksonville Jaguars: OT Evan Neal- Alabama
The Jags have a messy front office and the coaching staff seems to be the same way but they have one of the best players to ever come out of any NFL draft in QB Trevor Lawrence and they must protect him. Their left tackle Cam Robinson is set to be a free agent and they are in the perfect position to snag a new blindside blocker in Evan Neal. It has been a long time since we have seen a 6’7″ 350-pound offensive lineman display the smooth athleticism and technical skills of Evan Neal. He is obviously a massive man but he is way more than just his big stature. Neal is an ultra-aware blocker who always knows where pass rushers are, he is an absolute bulldozer of a man in the run game, and he has the experience and IQ to play both tackle spots or even at guard in a pinch. This would be the perfect pick toward building around Trevor Lawrence.
5th Overall New York Giants: OL Ikem Ekwonu- NC State
No team in all of sports loves huge, powerful, and athletic men more than the New York Giants. The position groups in New York are fairly complete or are at least average except for their offensive line. The line hasn’t been able to block for Jones in the passing game or for Booker/Barkley in the run game all season and it’s time they take another crack at re-enforcing the trenches. Ikem Ekwonu is a stocky lineman who has been starting at left tackle for the Wolf pack since he was a freshman but he projects best as a guard in the NFL and truthfully has the versatility to play every position on the line but center. Ekwonu is super powerful and will be a stonewall in the passing and run game for the Giants no matter who is under center.
6th Overall Washington Football Team: QB Malik Willis- Liberty
The first quarterback comes off the board here. Perhaps a bit pre-maturely but I believe Malik Willis is the best quarterback prospect in this years draft. He is a physical player who has incredible arm strength and mobility. He is a raw player who may not be able to start right away but his ceiling is to the moon. He has crazy potential and could be the final piece to the puzzle in Washington. The Washington Football Team has an arsenal of weapons on offense with guys like Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, Antonio Gibson, Logan Thomas, and Ricky Seals-Jones, not to mention they’ve invested a good amount of money and draft capital into their offensive line. Malik Willis would be the last player needed to ascend this offense to a new level.
7th Overall New York Jets: EDGE Aidan Hutchinson- Michigan
The Jets are building something in New York under Robert Saleh. Saleh made his reputation off of his utterly dominant defensive line in San Francisco and is attempting to rebuild that line in the Big Apple. The Jets paid a lot of money to edge rusher Carl Lawson and he will look to return to his usual elite play once back from injury next year, they brought in former Saints defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins who has added a nice pass rushing presence to the interior, and Quinnen Williams is living up to the hype of his third overall draft status as a permanent tenant in opposing team’s back fields. The final piece needed is an edge rusher to go opposite of Carl Lawson and Aidan Hutchinson would be the perfect addition. Hutchinson is a freak athlete with an excellent 6’6″ 265 pound frame. He is powerful, sets a hard edge, and has displayed elite penetration this season for the Michigan Wolverines.
8th Overall Philidelphia Eagles: EDGE George Karlaftis- Purdue
The second of three top ten picks for Philly will be spent on Purdue’s elite pass rusher George Karlaftis. The 6’4″ 275 pound menace of a lineman has racked up 22 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, 6 tackles for loss, and two passes defended on eight games played. Karlaftis reminds me a lot of Cameron Jordan or Michael Bennett. He is a big boned lineman who can play from a variety of alignments and beats opposing blockers with a wide range of hand counters or with his heavy handed bull rush. The Eagles have a great duo of interior defensive lineman with Javon Hargrave and Fletcher Cox, they just locked up Josh Sweat to a three year extension but Derek Barnett, Brandon Graham, and Ryan Kerrigan are all unrestricted free agents after this season which leaves former Coastal Carolina rookie Tarron Jackson and Josh Sweat as the only edge rushers under contract. Karlaftis will be the perfect addition to this defensive line.
9th Overall Philidelphia Eagles: CB Andrew Booth Jr.- Clemson
Darius Slay seems to be playing almost to his usual elite caliber but the CB2 in Philly right now is Steven Nelson who is on a one year deal and has been playing average at best. In this scenario, the Eagles take Andrew Booth Jr. who is one of the best cornerbacks in the last few drafts. Booth Jr. is an uber physical cover man who plays an aggressive brand of man coverage. He can slide into a starting outside cornerback role as CB2 and could even take CB1 from Darius Slay before his rookie campaign is over. If the Eagles made this pick it would round out a complete defensive overhaul. Karlaftis would slide in next to Hargrave and Cox to creat a powerful group of big men who excel at rushing the passer, Kyle Hamilton will take away the majority of deep balls that the Eagles are struggling to defend while also providing some versatility in the box and in the slot, and Andrew Booth Jr. would come in and form one of the best cornerback duos in the NFL with Darius Slay. This would be a stellar draft for the Eagles.
10th Overall New York Jets: WR Chris Olave- Ohio State
The wide receiver room for the gang green has been lackluster at best thus far. Corey Davis is proving to be an effective WR2 at best, Jamison Crowder is regressing, Denzel Mims is contributing to the reputation of BIG12 wide receivers’ inability to create separation, and Elijah Moore hasn’t done much thus far in his rookie campaign. Whether it is Mike White or Zach Wilson under center for the Jets, they must go out and get a WR1 this offseason. Olave is an incredible route runner with soft hands and a high football IQ. He is a polished product who can contribute from day one and make plays from every level of the field. If the Jets can snag Olave and he can establish himself as the WR1, then Corey Davis can slide into his comfortable WR2 role, and Elijah Moore can show off his electric big play ability against third and fourth string corners. A pick like this would greatly elevate this Jets offensive efficiency.
11th Overall New York Giants: IDL DeMarvin Leal- Texas A&M
I want to make it abundantly clear that DeMarvin Leal is a top five player in this draft class and being picked 11th would be considered a slide. If the Giants are lucky enough to have the privilege of selecting Leal they would be getting one of the best interior defensive lineman prospects since Quinnen Williams and Ed Oliver. He is an athletic anomaly with incredible potential as a pass rusher. He is already a polished run defender who would help this Giants defense take a big leap towards stifling opposing run games. The Giants play in a 3-4 defense and have two big holes on the team currently. They need another productive presence next to Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams and they need another inside linebacker for next to Tae Crowder. One of those problems will be fixed by the return of Blake Martinez next year and a young buck with the ceiling of DeMarvin Leal would round of the group of hand down lineman perfectly. Leal could be the final piece for this Giants defense. This would be a homerun pick for the Giants if Leal fell into their laps.
12th Overall Atlanta Falcons: EDGE Myjai Sanders- Cincinnatti
The Falcons have played in 8 games this season and have racked up a grand total of ten sacks. Atlanta’s leading sack artist is a three way tie between, their do it all off-ball linebacker Deion Jones, their over paid and oft-injured pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr., and their third year undrafted free agent Jacob Tuioti-Mariner all with two sacks respectively. Due to the lack of pass rush in the ATL, they should opt to select the star pass rusher for the Cincinnatti Bearcats, Myjai Sanders. Sanders is extremely athletic and has a very high ceiling when it comes to getting after the passer. He has all of the athleticism and size to be productive in the NFL and just needs to put it all together. Sanders could be the first consistent sack artist for the Falcons since John Abram who joined the team all the way back in 2006. Most may think this is a stretch for Sanders to go this high but his 4.5 tackles for loss and eight quarterback hits on the season have all but proven that he is progressing each season and that coupled with his high ceiling has more than proven that he deserves to be a top 15 pick.
13th Overall Miami Dolphins: WR Garrett Wilson- Ohio State
There has been a ton of drama surrounding the Dolphins when it comes to Tua Tagovailoa and Deshaun Watson but no matter who the signal caller in South Beach is, they deserve more talent at wide out. The Phins selected one of the most explosive pass catchers ever to come out of Alabama in Jaylen Waddle but DeVante Parker has been average at the very best and Preston Williams and Will Fuller V are both set to be free agents. There has to be a running mate for Jaylen Waddle and Garrett Wilson would fit like a glove. Wilson operates mostly from the slot, although he is capable of playing outside, and is a crazy versatile weapon who can run almost every route on the tree and is more than capable of making people miss in space. Waddle and Wilson could be one of the most explosive receiver duos in the league and would make a perfect tandem of weapons for whichever passer in under center in Miami.
14th Overall Minnesota Vikings: CB Kaiir Elam- Florida
Mike Zimmer prides himself on being a defensive expert and has risen the level of play by this Vikings defense exponentially from last season but there is still something missing. The front seven looks like they’re all playing like one cohesive unit since the return of Danielle Hunter (just sustained a season ending torn pectoral) and Anthony Barr but the secondary is giving up big plays and it is evident in the absence of Patrick Peterson that he is the only proficient cover man on the roster. Elam is a lanky SEC battle tested cover man who plays a physical brand of man coverage. If Elam was to be selected by the Vikings, they could finally be getting the young corner they have been looking for after the failed experiments of Mike Hughes and Jeff Gladney. Elam would likely be the final piece for Mike Zimmer to show just what he is capable of creating on defense.
15th Overall New England Patriots: WR Treylon Burks- Arkansas
Mac Jones has been above and beyond what most expected to see from him and now the focus must shift towards surrounding Jones with the most weapons possible. New England already has a great offensive line and snagged two of the best tight ends this offseason in Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry. The Pats have Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, and Jakobi Meyers in the wide receiver room already but they are really missing a prolific WR1 who can score touchdowns and create separation from elite cornerbacks. Treylon Burks has been more than dominant for the Razorbacks and has been tearing up SEC defenses all year long. Burks has four 100+ yard receiving games and has scored seven touchdowns through eight outings on the season. Treylon can stretch the field and is a great route runner who could be just what this Patriots offense is missing. Mac Jones’ career could really take a step forward with a receiver like Burks in an already talented offense.
16th Overall Denver Broncos: QB Matt Corral- Ole Miss
The Broncos have a crazy group of playmakers in the likes of Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, K.J. Hamler, Tim Patrick, Noah Fant, Melvin Gordon, and Javonte Williams. The offensive line could use some work but they aren’t terrible and it seems the only thing missing in Denver is a quarterback who can be minimally proficient. Matt Corral could be much more than just proficient for the Broncos. Corral is an athletic passer who can make some crazy plays when the pocket breaks down and sports elite accuracy to all levels of the field. The Broncos have struggled to find a quarterback since the retirement of Peyton Manning and after years of the suffering through Trevor Siemian, Drew Lock, Paxton Lynch, Brock Osweiler, Joe Flacco, Brett Rypien, Brandon Allen, Case Keenum, Jeff Driskel, and now Teddy Bridgewater, they could finally settle down with the SEC phenom from Ole Miss.
17th Overall Cleveland Browns: LB Devin Lloyd- Utah
The Browns offense is loaded with playmakers and they have arguably the best offensive line in football when healthy. The biggest hole can be found on the defensive side of things. The cornerback room seems to be set with Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome II leading the charge, the safety room is one of the best in the league with John Johnson III, Grant Delpit, and Ronnie Harrison, and the defensive line has been very impressive thanks to the production of their four starters Myles Garret, Malik McDowell, Malik Jackson, and Jadeveon Clowney. The weakest position group on the defense is their linebacker core. The Browns have a bunch of barely average linebackers aside from recent free agent signing and former Colt Anthony Walker who has been a great middle linebacker for Cleveland. The problem is that the Browns generally role out two linebackers and occasionally three and they need to find a running mate for Anthony Walker in their base defense. Devin Lloyd is a super versatile defender who has shown that he can cover, diagnose, rush the passer, hit, and get sideline to sideline. He will be a perfect fit next to Walker and can hold down the WILL spot for the Dawg Pound. Lloyd would eliminate most of the concerns on the defensive side of things thanks to his ability to wear many hats.
18th Overall Kansas City Chiefs: CB Ahmad Gardner- Cincinnatti
Every fan in the NFL has been shocked by the performance of the Chiefs through the first eight games. The offense has been struggling but the real problem in KC is their defense. The Chiefs have plenty of weapons on offense and completely retooled the offensive line in the offense yet failed to address the defense. In fact I would venture to say that the Chiefs left their defense for dead because they thought their offensive line was the biggest problem after an embarrassing loss to Tampa Bay in last year’s Super Bowl. Every asset should be spent towards the defense and if Ahmad Gardner was the first step in that direction it would definitely be the right one. Gardner deserves to be picked far before the 18th selection but in this case, the Chiefs get lucky. Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner has a great frame at 6’2″ 190 pounds. He plays with great technique and poise in press-man coverage and could immediately be the best cornerback on the Chiefs. If Gardner learns to trust his skills a bit more and tries to make more plays on the football he could be one of the best cover men in the National Football League.
19th Overall Carolina Panthers: OT Charles Cross- Mississippi State
The Panthers are rolling with Cameron Erving as their starting blind side blocker right now and despite being a first round pick back in 2015, it is clear that his role is as a career backup/sixth man and not as a starter. Charles Cross is a former five star prospect who has spent his college years coupling his 6’5″ 311 pound frame with starting caliber technique, thanks to three years of SEC coaching, and now he finds himself in position to be a first round NFL draft pick. Cross could immediately step in as the starter in Charlotte and would be blowing open holes in the run game and stone walling pass rushers from day one of training camp. Despite uncertainty at quarterback for the Panthers and honestly uncertainty at running back with the rate McCaffery is getting injured, Cross is the right pick here for the future of either position.
20th Overall Los Angeles Chargers: EDGE Adam Anderson- Georgia
The Chargers offense seems to be coming together nicely but the eye in the sky never lies and the tape is showing that the defense is to blame for these losses late in these close games. The Chargers defense will be a priority this offense especially with former Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley as their new head coach. The Chargers have a strong defensive core with SAF Derwin James Jr., EDGE Joey Bosa, LB Kenneth Murray, and CB Asante Samuel Jr. but they are sorely missing a strong edge rusher to play across from Bosa. The Georgia Bulldogs’ defense this season has been one of the best defense in NCAA history and Adam Anderson is a huge part of that. Anderson has posted 5 sacks, 15 pressures, 14 quarterback hits, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 32 total tackles through just eight games played. Those are eye popping numbers especially when you consider he is playing for one of the biggest SEC power houses. He is incredibly athletic and has improved his technique in both the rushing and passing game each and every season. Anderson is a 6’5″ 230 pound stand up edge rusher who could flourish on the same line as Joey Bosa and in the hands of Brandon Staley.
21st Overall Pittsburgh Steelers: QB Desmond Ridder- Cincinnatti
It has become abundantly clear over the last eight games that Ben Roethlisberger is barely a serviceable option at quarterback for the Steelers. Their offensive line needs a complete and total makeover but to me Desmond Ridder is the right pick here. At the helm of the Cincinnatti Bearcats remarkable seasons the last two years has been Desmond Ridder and he has shown that he is deserving of a job in the NFL. The Bearcats quarterback has a ton of experience as he has started all four years in college, he is a very sound operator in the pocket, and has an aggressive play style that results in big shots down the field and touchdowns more times than not. Ridder has accuracy issues at times and can be inconsistent week to week but under the tutleage of Mike Tomlin those issues can be fixed and they can channel his electric dual threat ability towards making him the future of the Steelers at quarterback.
22nd Overall Cincinnatti Bengals: OT Nicholas Petit-Frere- Ohio State
Starting right tackle Riley Reiff is going to be a free agent after this season but star safety Jessie Bates III will be too and the obvious choice is to extend Jessie over Reiff. So instead of spending the money on Riley Reiff, I think Nicholas Petit-Frere would be not only. a great replacement but an improvement. This Bengals offense is one of the best in the league right now. Quarterback Joe Burrow has been incredible thus far, rookie wide out Ja’Marr Chase already looks like one of the best rookies in recent memory, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd are some of the best WR2 and WR3s in the league, and running back Joe Mixon is establishing a fierce run game over in Cincinnatti, the last part of the offense that needs an upgrade is the offensive line. Lukcily, the Bengals 11th overall pick in 2019, Jonah Williams, has gotten healthy and has proven he can be the star at left tackle that the Bengals have so desperately needed. The second most important position on that offensive line is right tackle and this is precisely where Nicholas Petit-Frere comes in. NPF was the seventh best recruit in the country back in 2018 and has started at right tackle for the Ohio State Buckeyes for the last two seasons and has lived up to his high school hype. This pick would do wonders for every aspect of the Bengals offense.
23rd Overall New Orleans Saints: QB Sam Howell- North Carolina
Unfortunately for the Saints, starting quarterback Jameis Winston tore his ACL and injured his MCL against the Bucs in week 7 and will be out for the rest of the season and early next season. Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian are good short term bandaids but we all know Sean Payton is chomping at the bit to find Dres Brees’ long term replacement as soon as he can. If I had to guess, Sam Howell’s play style is probably very intriguing to Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis and just might be the guy who the Saints will pull the trigger on. Sean Payton found Tony Romo in Dallas, chose the banged up veteran in Drew Brees when he had a pick that could’ve snagged Matt Leinart or Vince Young, and was ready to turn in the card with Patrick Mahomes’ name on it before the Chiefs traded up and chose him one pick before. It’s safe to say we should trust Payton’s judgement in quarterbacks. With Sean Payton being a product of the Bill Parcells coaching tree and with Sam Howell checking off five of seven quarterback commandments that Bill Parcells coached by, this very well could be a possible marriage. Howell is an extremely accurate quarterback who has started since his freshman year and has a knack for finding the end zone whether it be via the air or the ground. With an athlete like Howell who’s got a high ceiling and requires tutelage from an experienced offensive mind he could be the perfect pick for the Saints. I’m excited just thinking about this team with Howell at the helm and of course, Sean Payton calling the shots.
24th Overall Tampa Bay Buccaneers: SAF Jaquan Brisker- Penn State
There are very few teams in the position of the Bucs. Due to the amount of talent and depth of this Bucs team, they have the luxury of taking any position and even letting that player sit and develop if necessary. When I look at the weaker positions on this team free safety Jordan Whitehead stands out to me and although he is necessarily bad, he will require an extension soon due to his impending free agency at the end of the season. Hence why I think Jaquan Brisker is a perfect fit in Tampa. The Bucs spent a second rounder on Antoine Winfield Jr. out of Minnesota in 2020 and he has been an excellent starter at strong safety for the Bucs. The best way to maximize Antoine’s versatility and play making ability is to give him the gift of a single high safety who can cover the whole deep half of the field which in turn leaves Antoine Winfield Jr. to roam around underneath and make more plays in the short-intermediate game. Jaquan Brisker is a rangey free safety who has made his reputation off of laying big hits on receivers who enter his air space and off of his his true sideline to sideline range outside the sticks. He would be a great addition to Todd Bowle’s defense and could help eliminate some of the big plays the Bucs have been giving up this season.
25th Overall Buffalo Bills: IOL Kenyon Green- Texas A&M
This powerful guard from Texas A&M is a top fifteen player in this draft class who just slipped due to positional need. Kenyon Green will immediately be an upgrade for the Bills at guard and can really help to open run lanes for the likes of Zack Moss, Devin Singletary, or really anyone who is at halfback for the Bills. Brandon Beane just dished out a whopping six year $258 million contract to franchise quarterback Josh Allen who he traded up to grab seventh overall in the 2018 NFL draft. It’s safe to say they have invested quite a bit of resources into their quarterback so they least they can do is build an offensive line that will keep him upright. The universe is giving the Bills an absolute gift in Kenyon Green and they should happily take it with open arms. Not much to analyze here, the Bills get a mauler of a lineman.
26th Overall Las Vegas Raiders: WR Jahan Dotson- Penn State
Obviously, Henry Ruggs III has put himself into a really tough situation and will not be on the team anymore. It is an extremely tough situation but the bottom line is that the Raiders are without a speedster now and they are very thin with talent at wide receiver. Jahan Dotson is an extremely electric receiver who doesn’t necessarily have the generational speed Henry Ruggs III did but he will assuredly run a sub-4.40 40 yard dash. If the Raiders can find a talented offensive mind to lead the team, they could maximize the big body receiver Bryan Edwards’ abilities as an intermediate, jump ball, touchdown threat which in turn would allow Jahan Dotson to show off his big play ability and explosiveness in the deep half of the field. This would be a replacement for Henry Ruggs III but Dotson’s skillset is different and he provides more capability as a high target wide out.
27th Overall Dallas Cowboys: SAF Jordan Battle- Alabama
This Cowboy’s team looks very complete as the offense is living up to its high scoring potential and the defense is much improved from the last two seasons. The defense needs just a little bit more talent in the secondary before they are ready to compete for a Super Bowl. Malik Hooker and Damontae Kazee are adequate to be playing free safety for the Cowboys but they are both set to be free agents after this year and instead of dishing out a contract to either of them, they should turn to the draft for a younger player, on a cheap deal, with more potential. Jordan Battle is a super smart player who has the range to play sideline to sideline as a single high deep safety, yet the physicality and technique to play strong safety in the box if needed. Battle would be the ballhawk at the deep end of the field that would allow the talented front seven of the Cowboys to go to work on opposing run games and passing attacks. Plus, with the emergence of Trevon Diggs and the improvement of Anthony Brown the cornerback spots are locked up and won’t leave coverage issues to Battle so that he can just focus on hawking the deep half of the field and coming up to make tackles in the intermediate part of the field.
28th Overall Green Bay Packers: OL Darrian Kinnard- Kentucky
Green Bay will likely have to look towards a future which will likely be without Aaron Rodgers. Instead of kicking the bucket on Jordan Love or spending a high pick on a quarterback they aren’t in love with, they should invest in the offensive line that will be keeping whatever passer is in Green Bay up right or will be blowing open holes for Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon. Darian Kinnard is the starting right tackle for the Kentucky Wildcats, he also trained to play left tackle before LSU transfer Dare Rosenthal came and took over the blind side, and Kinnard is projected to play both guard spots in the NFL. He provides a ton of versatility to play any tackle or guard spot for Green Bay which allows them to put their best five lineman out there on Sundays. Kinnard is a massive human at 6’5″ 345 pounds and has proven to be an aggressive mauler in the run game. With a new signal caller under center for Matt LaFleur I bet there will be a lot more running with A.J. Dillon and Aaron Jones which only makes the Kinnard pick even smarter.
29th Overall Baltimore Ravens: IDL Jordan Davis- Georgia
This is far too low for where Jordan Davis deserves to go but good players slide every year and due to position, it could just be Jordan Davis this year. The Ravens front seven is really starting to take form with Calais Campbell, Justin Madubuike, Odafe Oweh, and Patrick Queen at the core of it and Jordan Davis could take this defense from good to great. Since 2018, we have seen Vita Vea single handedly destroy opposing offensive game plans and stat pad his team mates such as Shaq Barrett, Ndamokung Suh, and Jason Pierre-Paul. Jordan Davis could be the same kind of presence for the Ravens. As Odafe Oweh and Justin Madubuike get more in game experience, develop, and learn from Calais Campbell, they could have a much easier time capitalizing on their talent with a man eater like Jordan Davis in the middle. This Georgia defense is playing at a ridiculous level this year and if you had to pin point the biggest players to contribute to this success Jordan Davis and LB Nakobe Dean are the two you’d have to mention. If Davis can be half as good as a guy like Vita Vea then this pick would be more than worth it.
30th Overall Detroit Lions: WR Drake London- USC
The Lions offense is sorely lacking a wide receiver who can separate from cornerbacks in the NFL and Dan Campbell is craving a receiver like Michael Thomas who he coached in New Orleans who can take over a game with physicality and route running ability. Drake London could be just the guy to fill the desire for Campbell. London is a whopping 6’5″ 210 pounds who also played basketball for the USC Trojans. The fact that he was a D1 two sport athlete at the University of Southern California, should imply that Drake London is a crazy good athlete. His big play ability and jump ball skills make him exactly what you’re looking for in a “X” receiver. London is a great blocker in the run game who can step up and be a WR1 immediately for the Lions. He needs to work on his releases and footwork a bit but aside from that he should produce early and often in the league.
31st Overall Tennessee Titans: ILB Nakobe Dean- Georgia
One of the fastest rising prospects this season has been the 2019 19th rated recruit in the country Nakobe Dean. The Titans starting linebackers Rashaan Evans and Jayon Brown are both set to become free agents after the season and if they can extend their favorite out of the two and draft Nakobe Dean, they will be better off. Dean is a freak athlete with extreme sideline to sideline speed. His crazy speed coupled with his reliable tackling ability, he could be an incredible linebacker in this league. His play style is comparable to Kwon Alexander, Devin White, and Darius Leonard. The Titans have established an incredible pass rush with Harold Landry, Jeffery Simmons, and Bud Dupree and snagging someone capable of covering and patroling the middle of the field would change the whole complexion of the defense.
32nd Overall Arizona Cardinals: EDGE Drake Jackson- USC
This Cardinals defense is improving each season and the pass rush seems to be the weakest spot seeing as they’re relying almost solely on Chandler Jones. With Chandler Jones in a contract year, the Cards need to add some more talent at outside linebacker. Even if they re-sign Jones, he is getting up there in age and there needs to be some youth in the edge rusher room. Drake Jackson is extremely athletic and has great bend off the edge. He is a quick-twitch athlete who is quick with his reactive hand counters and footwork. This would be a total steal at value for the Cardinals in a position of need and could solidify the future of the pass rush for the Cards.
Players who were in the first mock but not this one:
OT Jaxson Kirkland- Washington (8th Overall Carolina Panthers)
QB Spencer Rattler- Oklahoma (10th Overall Washington Football Team)
WR John Metchie III- Alabama (15th Overall New England Patriots)
CB Trent McDuffie- Washington (17th Overall Arizona Cardinals)
ILB Christian Harris- Alabama (22nd Overall Tennessee Titans)
SAF Brandon Joseph- Northwestern (26th Overall Baltimore Ravens)
C Tyler Linderbaum- Iowa (28th Overall Miami Dolphins)
TE Jalen Wydermyer- Texas A&M (29th Overall Buffalo Bills)
QB Carson Strong- Nevada (31st Overall Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
SAF Daxton Hill- Michigan (32nd Overall Kansas City Chiefs)
Players who were in this mock but not the first:
IOL Ikem Ekwonu- N.C. State (5th Overall NY Giants)
ILB Devin Lloyd- Utah (17th Overall Cleveland Browns)
OT Charles Cross- Mississippi State (19th Overall Carolina Panthers)
EDGE Adam Anderson- Georgia (20th Overall Los Angeles Chargers)
QB Desmond Ridder- Cincinnatti (21st Pittsburgh Steelers)
OT Nicholas Petit-Frere- Ohio State (22nd Cincinnatti Bengals)
SAF Jaquan Brisker- Penn State (24th Overall Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
WR Jahan Dotson- Penn State (26th Overall Las Vegas Raiders)
SAF Jordan Battle- Alabama (27th Overall Dallas Cowboys)
WR Drake London- USC (30th Overall Detroit Lions)
