My First Mock Draft (EVER!) (1 Viewer)

CaliSaint4Life

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This is my first ever mock draft. Before you flame me, here was my thought process when doing it:

  • I tried to ignore as other mocks and put guys where I really think they could help.
  • I know it won't turn out this way but my approach was less about projecting where guys would get drafted in real life and more about where I think they fit.
  • I haven't studied every player so when projected the ones I haven't evaluated, I used some of my conversations with scouts, draft experts, sports writers, etc.
  • The order I have guys mock doesn't reflect my evaluation on them. Some guys simply dropped because of the fit.
Enjoy!

1.) Chiefs - G Chance Warmack - Alabama
Analysis: Warmack is probably the best player in the draft and they have a hole at left guard. This team has a strong roster but it just needs to be coached up. No QBs were worth this spot.

2.) Jaguars - DT Sharrif Floyd - Florida
Analysis: This team needs an identity, I say make it on the defensive side of the ball. Great DT draft and they take arguably the best one. Inside pressure kills and the Jags hope Floyd can bring just that.

3.) Raiders - OT Luke Joeckel - Texas A&M
Analysis: Bad team with no talent, they simply took the best player available.

4.) Eagles - G Jonathan Cooper - North Carolina
Analysis: Peters comes back healthy and is one of the best LTs in the NFL again. With Cooper they strengthen their line with a player who many consider as good as Warmack. The Eagles have good talent on defense and will look to compliment that with a solid run game. Chip Kelly, even with all his creativity follows the John Harbaugh model - defense and the running game. Only doubt is that some say that Cooper needs to be in zone blocking scheme.

5.) Lions - DE Ezekial Ansah - BYU
Analysis: The Lions are set at DT with Suh and Fairley but need major help on the edge with Vanden Bosch and Avril gone. Their coaching staff worked with Ansah during Senior Bowl week and they think he can come in and play the strongside end from day 1. He'll be surrounded by talent on the d-line and should be in a position to succeed with inside rush to assist him. This pick could have been Milliner also.

6.) Browns - OLB Jarvis Jones - Georgia
Analysis: The Browns are moving to a 3-4 defense and they need pass rushers. For all the flaws we hear about Jones, he produces and likes to separate the ball from the QB. Horton will put him in the best position to succeed. Almost with with Dion Jordan here.

7.) Cardinals - OT Eric Fisher - Central Michigan
Analysis: Simple, they choose the best tackle available in the draft at a position of MAJOR need. Easy pick.

8.) Bills - QB Geno Smith - West Virginia
Analysis: This is a bit high for Smith but the Bills have heavily invested in defense and have the pieces on offense for a QB to be successful. The WR from Tennessee was in consideration here. Smith needs some mechanics cleaned up but he can make any NFL throw and is by far the best QB prospect in this draft.

9.) Jets - WR Cordarelle Patterson - Tennessee
Analysis: This team has some of the worst skill position players in the NFL. If they are going to go with Sanchez, they have to give him some weapons. No matter how good your defense is, you won't win if you don't have production on the offensive side of the ball. Patterson is a freak who could give them an explosive threat opposite of Holmes. I was tempted to put Fluker or Watson here.

10.) Titans - S Kenny Vaccaro - Texas
Analysis: This spot is too high for a LBer or WRer and they can use some help at safety. Vaccaro makes sense here. Versatile guy who can cover the slot, play deep, or close the the LOS. Takes bad angles to the ball carrier at times but that can be fixed.

11). Chargers - OT Lane Johnson - Oklahoma
Analysis: Best OT available, easy pick.

12.) Dolphins - CB Dee Milliner - Alabama
Analysis: Their upset that Patterson is off the board but lucky that Milliner is still here. Sean Smith is gone and they need a replacement.

13.) Buccaneers - DT Star Lotulelei, Utah
Analysis: The Bucs sprint to the podium when they see Star still on the board. He and McCoy would cause headaches for the rest of the NFC south for years to come. I'd be sick if this really happened.

14.) Panthers - DT Sheldon Richardson - Missouri
Analysis: The best pass rush in the NFC South just got better. This is another pick I would dislike.

15.) Saints - LB Dion Jordan - Oregon
Analysis: We rarely get to pick this high so taking the best available pass rusher for our new scheme is a must. Luckily for us, Jordan is still on the board. Explosive guy who has good hands, a good first step, long arms, and the ability to flatten out once he turns the corner. Extremely versatile and can play all over the field. Freak athlete who may have gone higher if he wasn't in coverage so much and didn't get hurt late last season. When he fills out, he could be scary. This is the guy who I really want and I made sure that I didn't intentionally mock him to us - no lie!

16.) Rams - WR Keenan Allen - California
Analysis: Worst case scenario for the Rams, they'd love to trade down here but no trades in this mock! Warmack, Cooper, or Patterson would be their dream here but they take the next best skill position player on the board. This was arguably the hardest pick for me to make and to be honest, past Patterson, I'm not really sure how to rank the WRs in this draft. If you made me rank them, I would say Austin is my #2 but I think the Rams resign Danny Amendola. At the end of the day, Bradford needs help.

17.) Steelers - OLB Damontre Moore - Texas A&M
Analysis: Harrison is on the other side of his career and Moore could be his eventual replacement. Just the type of value pick the Steelers love.

18.) Cowgirls - DE Bjoern Werner - Florida State
Analysis: They were hoping one of the 3-techs dropped but with them possibly losing Spencer, they take Werner to be the strongside DE in their new 4-3 defense. With Ratliff, Hatcher, and Ware, Werner would be surrounded by good talent and be in a position to succeed.

19.) Giants - OT DJ Fluker - Alabama
Analysis: The Giants win Super Bowls when they run the ball well. Locklear is getting older and Fluker is a plug and play elite run blocker who could stand to grow a bit in pass pro but the physical ability is there.

20.) Bears - OT Menelik Watson - Florida State
Analysis: He's raw but has as much talent as any offensive lineman in this draft. He's the o-line version of Ansah and Kromer will coach him up. My concern is that he played RT and Carami is a RT also, but you let that work itself out and some think Carami may be a Guard. Step 1 in fixing Jay Cutler.

21.) Bengals - DE Sam Montgomery - LSU
Analysis: Johnson hit free agency and the Bengals immediately pick up his long term replacement - this will allow them to focus on extending Atkins and Dunlap. Talented defensive line just got better.

22.) Rams - Jonathan Cyprien - Florida International
Analysis: Cyprien gives the Rams some help on the back end. He physical like a strong but has the range of a free safety.

23.) Vikings - ILB Alec Ogletree - Georgia
Analysis: Great value for the Vikings here and Olgetree's free fall stops. Brinkley isn't cutting it, Henderson (who I was high on) had a bad year, and Olgetree is a top 10 talent. I worry about his ability to shed blockers but the NFL is a passing league and this guy has range. I think he's best at OLB in a 4-3 but some project him at MIKE.

24.) Colts - DE Cornellius Carradine - Florida State
Analysis: The Colts get their pass rusher opposite Mathis. I think Carradine can potentially go higher than this so this is great value for the Colts.

25.) Seahawks - OLB Barkevious Mingo - LSU
Analysis: Rich gets richer. Even with the Irving pick last year, the Hawks run to turn this pick in. This has Pete Carroll written all over it. Clemons is getting up there in age and coming off a playoff ACL tear, so there's no telling when he will be back. Also, the lack of ability to rush the passer showed up when he was hurt. Mingo will succeed in a defense surrounded by playmakers where the coach fits the scheme to the players.

26.) Packers - S Matt Elam - Florida
Analysis: With Woodson gone, the Pack could use another playmaker at safety. Elam is that - he could play some of the roles Woodson played blitzing and close to the line of scrimmage. Kevin Minter was also in consideration here.

27.) Texans - WR Tavon Austin - West Virginia
Analysis: Pure need pick here and kind of obvious. Johnson isn't getting younger and they need another play maker at the skill position. Austin fills that role.

28.) Broncos - CB Xavier Rhodes - Florida State
Analysis: Physical press corner who comes in and learns behind one of the best to ever do it. Minter was in consideration here also.

29.) Patriots - CB Jonathan Banks - Mississippi State
Analysis: With Talib being an unrestricted guy, the Pats pull the trigger on Banks who could be the second best corner in this draft. This is even a bigger need with Alfonzo Dennard possibly doing jail time.

30.) Falcons - TE Tyler Eifert - Notre Dame
Analysis: If Gonz is gone, look for the Falcons to replace someone for that role and most consider Eifert as the best TE in the draft. If Gonz stays, look for them to look at a pass rusher - potentially Okafor, Carradine, or Lemonier.

31.) 49ers - Johnathan Hankins, Ohio State
Analysis: No safeties have value here, they drafted WR last year and this draft is deep with them, and the have no glaring needs. The 49ers choose to go BPA here and get one of the most talented DTs in the draft. If he lives up to his potential, watch out.

32.) Ravens - LB Arthur Brown, Kansas State
Analysis: A bit of a surprise pick here. This pick reminds me of when the Cardinals took Daryl Washington out of TCU. Brown takes on the task of replacing Ray Lewis. Minter was in HUGE consideration here.

Who Missed The Cut:

  • LB Manti T'eo - Notre Dame
  • DE Datone Jones – UCLA
  • CB Desmond Trufant - Washington
  • DT Jesse Williams - Alabama
  • DE Alex Okafor - Texas
  • OT Dallas Thomas - Tennessee
  • RB Eddie Lacy - Alabama
  • LB Kevin Minter - LSU
I think you could make the case that any of these players could end up in the first round.
 
Good job CaliSaint! Interesting Mock you got here.
Let me see...
2 Guards in the top 5? That would be earth shattering.
I dont see Raiders taking Luke since they do actually have a good LT, but anything is possible.
I can see the Lions taking Ziggy, heard they really liked him and they were the ones that decided to play him out wide, which is why he dominated.
Geno to the Bills would be great for them (wont need to rush him to start with Fitz there).
I like it.
 
I like the Jordan pick. A lot of surprises in the top 20 but thats what the draft is about.
Yeah, I did my best to ignore what popular mocks had and tried to research each team's needs and fill that need in the draft. It was hard to not reach on players but I think I was able to avoid it. If I knew how much time it would have taken, I probably wouldn't have done it! Thanks!
 
They like it so much they didnt even green thumb you, ok I will.

Good Job!! :9:
 
Good job CaliSaint! Interesting Mock you got here.
Let me see...
2 Guards in the top 5? That would be earth shattering.
I dont see Raiders taking Luke since they do actually have a good LT, but anything is possible.
I can see the Lions taking Ziggy, heard they really liked him and they were the ones that decided to play him out wide, which is why he dominated.
Geno to the Bills would be great for them (wont need to rush him to start with Fitz there).
I like it.
Haha. I figured the two Guards in the top 5 would shake things up. I know it won't happen but I think the fits are good.

You make a GREAT point about the Raiders but I just had a hard time dropping Joeckel too far and I think you have to take arguably the best player in the draft and let it work itself out (between Veldheer and Joeckel). That roster is devoid of talent they needed to hit on that pick. I could have put Jarvis Jones there, Star Lotulelei there, or even Dion Jordan - but in the end I went with Joeckel. I think Dennis Allen would have used Jones or Jordan like he used Von Miller in Denver. It's definitely the pick I knew I would get the most flack for - and deserving of course!

EDIT:
As for the Lions and Ziggy, you echo my thoughts and playing him wide would be EXACTLY what I would do if I were Detriot. Heck, any team may need to play him that way. He's dominant in space.

Also, glad you like the Geno-Bills fit. That was one of my favorite picks to make.
 
Lotulelei could be a Justin Smith clone.

If by some miracle he falls out of the top 10, the saints need to desperately move up to get him. I'd like to see them make an effort to move up for him even if he doesn't.
 
Lotulelei could be a Justin Smith clone.

If by some miracle he falls out of the top 10, the saints need to desperately move up to get him. I'd like to see them make an effort to move up for him even if he doesn't.

I just see bust in Star, its just my opinion though. He definietly has the capability to be a straight up dominant player. I wonder about his stamina though
 
I just see bust in Star, its just my opinion though. He definietly has the capability to be a straight up dominant player. I wonder about his stamina though
He plays Inside a lot but he has the power, quickness and hand use of Justin Smith as a potential 3-4 DE.

I project him differently than most other posters and don't see him as a NT alone. I think that he has all-pro potential like Smith because he is a pass rush prospect that can win with power. He's the only defensive player this year who I like more than Ansah. I think that CaliSaint is right that Ansah will go top 10 (or should) but I have no idea how he thinks that Lotuelei will slip so far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co-NvKnZzvw

WK 17: Justin Smith highlights - NFL Videos


I'd trade extra picks to move up for a dominant power/bull rush player who I consider as far more valuable than speed guys alone like Sedrick Ellis in 2008.
 
Lotulelei could be a Justin Smith clone.

If by some miracle he falls out of the top 10, the saints need to desperately move up to get him. I'd like to see them make an effort to move up for him even if he doesn't.

I just see bust in Star, its just my opinion though. He definietly has the capability to be a straight up dominant player. I wonder about his stamina though

He plays Inside a lot but he has the power, quickness and hand use of Justin Smith as a potential 3-4 DE.

I project him differently than most other posters and don't see him as a NT alone. I think that he has all-pro potential like Smith because he is a pass rush prospect that can win with power. He's the only defensive player this year who I like more than Ansah. I think that CaliSaint is right that Ansah will go top 10 (or should) but I have no idea how he thinks that Lotuelei will slip so far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co-NvKnZzvw

WK 17: Justin Smith highlights - NFL Videos


I'd trade extra picks to move up for a dominant power/bull rush player who I consider as far more valuable than speed guys alone like Sedrick Ellis in 2008.
I definitely wouldn't mind up moving to get Star. I didn't do trades in this mock and I don't think he gets past Tampa or Carolina. I agree with you NOFALCONS, I think Star could play 1-tech, 3-tech, or 5-tech. Pick a scheme and put him in it. He's a better pass rusher than people give him credit for and he can flat out dominate a game. My only question about him is his arm length. That's something I'll be looking for at the combine over the weekend. After seeing Sed Ellis and his short arms, that is a killer for me at DT.
 
He plays Inside a lot but he has the power, quickness and hand use of Justin Smith as a potential 3-4 DE.

I project him differently than most other posters and don't see him as a NT alone. I think that he has all-pro potential like Smith because he is a pass rush prospect that can win with power. He's the only defensive player this year who I like more than Ansah. I think that CaliSaint is right that Ansah will go top 10 (or should) but I have no idea how he thinks that Lotuelei will slip so far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co-NvKnZzvw

WK 17: Justin Smith highlights - NFL Videos


I'd trade extra picks to move up for a dominant power/bull rush player who I consider as far more valuable than speed guys alone like Sedrick Ellis in 2008.
I contemplated taking Star at #3 for the Raiders, but I went with Joeckel - I spoke about my thought process on this a few post up. From there, here's what happened:

  • Eagles have Landri, Patterson, Jenkins, and Cox and I don't think DE or pass rusher is a need for them at all.

  • The Lions have Suh and Fairley for inside rush and Williams is there also. I thought their need was on the edge versus inside.

  • The Browns have Rubin, Winn, and Taylor and I projected their need on the edge as well.

  • The Cards have Dockett and Campbell at DE and the big kid out of Tennessee inside so no need there.

  • The Bills have Darius and Kyle Williams.

  • The Jets have Devito, Coples, and Wilkerson (who I absolutely LOVE), so they are set.

  • Tennessee have Klug, Martin, and Casey so they are extremely set at DT. Another edge guy along with Morgan wouldn't hurt.

  • The Chargers have Luiget, Kendall Reyes, and Cam Thomas inside - also they could resign Franklin. I also think an edge guy is a bigger need for them. LT is by far the biggest need that team has though. Have to protect Rivers.

  • The Dolphins have Starks (who is a FA) and Soliai as DTs but could use a 3-tech. I'm not sure most people project Star as a 3-tech (I think he can play 1,3, or 5) but you could make a really good case that the Phins should take him.
And basically, that's how Star fell down as far as he did. I don't think it'll actually happen because he's too good, but that's just how things turned out. Also, in the OP I stated:
The order I have guys mock doesn't reflect my evaluation on them. Some guys simply dropped because of the fit.
I think that's exactly what happened. I do see your point though. This was an extremely unorthodox mock - putting it lightly.
 
If you're going to do a mock draft you have to use the word "kid" a minimum of 40 times (ex. "I like the kid." "This kid's got fluid hips and is strong at the point of attack."). Please revise. And make sure you include the phrase "This may not be the sexy pick, but..." somewhere in your draft as well.
 

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