Welcome to the second half of my February mock draft. Missed the first 16 picks? They can be found here. And while you’re at it make sure you check out the rest of Last Word On Sports NFL draft coverage, including my previous mock drafts, my ‘draft or sign?’ series and Alex Sibo’s excellent scouting reports.
Frost on the draft- February Mock Part 2
17. Dallas Cowboys- Aaron Donald, DT
This pick makes almost too much sense for Dallas (which is why it probably won’t happen). Dallas lacked a defensive tackle all year, and that was while they had Jason Hatcher. Now the 32 year old is a free agent (and is unlikely to come back as the Cowboys are currently more than $20 million over the cap), the team will have to find two big men to shore up their atrocious defence. Donald fits perfectly as a 3-technique in a 4-3 defence, and if his senior bowl performance is anything to go by, he could become a star.
18. New York Jets- Jace Amaro, TE
Although they also need a safety and two guards, the Jets top priority this offseason has to be to improve the receivers around Geno Smith. Although he was less than stellar in his first year, the same can be said for most of the Jets offensive starters. And with PFF grading all of the Jets receivers and tight ends as adequate or worse, expect to see them take multiple receivers. The player available at either position here is Jace Amaro, who holds the FBS record for the most receiving yards by a tight end in one season.
19. Miami Dolphins- Cyrus Kouandjio, OT
There is no need for me to explain why I have the Dolphins going o-line here. The only way they could possibly not go tackle or guard in the first round is if they pick up four o-linemen in free agency. But things are less clear when it comes to who they should pick. There are multiple options here, and Taylor Lewan could easily be the pick. Although Kouandjio’s technique isn’t perfect, he has excellent speed and size, and is a definite upgrade over what Miami currently has.
20. Arizona Cardinals- Taylor Lewan, OT
After a good if frustrating season, the Cardinals will be targeting upgrades at safety, tight end and linebacker. But by far their biggest need is on the offensive line- Bradley Sowell was PFF’s worst rated tackle in 2013, and the unit as a whole gave up over 240 pressures. To solve this, I have Arizona taking the best tackle available. Taylor Lewan’s stock may have dropped from last year, but he is still a physical freak and a top player.
21. Green Bay Packers- Louis Nix III, NT
There is no clear cut option for Green Bay here. Although they are not in a bad state by any means, there are multiple positions which could be upgraded. As a result, I see them going best player available here, and in this situation that is Louis Nix. The packers 2013 NT BJ Raji is a free agent this year, and may not come back after a poor season (PFF gave him a -13.6 grade). Nix would slide seamlessly into the defensive line as a replacement for Raji, and could have an immediate positive impact.
22. Philadelphia Eagles- Justin Gilbert, CB
2013 may have seen a strong start to the chip Kelly era, especially on offence, but there are glaring holes in the secondary. With this year’s best safety taken, the best available option is at corner. Although Justin Gilbert is not a shutdown corner in the same mould as Darqueze Dennard, he still has a lot of positives. He is the best corner in this class who is at least 6’0”+, and made tons of plays at Oklahoma state on defence and special teams (he finished the year ranked 5th in the big 12 for both passes defended and kickoff return average).
23. Kansas City Chiefs- Zach Martin, G/T
While the chiefs would love to get Alex Smith some more weapons here, they have to address their offensive line. Three of their 2013 starters (two guards and a tackle) are going to become free agents in March, and with $3 million projected cap space, it is likely at least one, if not two don’t come back. Zach Martin proved at the senior bowl he could be a star at either position in the pros, and his ability and versatility perfectly fits what the Chiefs need.
24. Cincinnati Bengals- Ryan Shazier, OLB
The Bengal’s roster is in good shape right now, but there are multiple improvements that could be made. Although I would not be surprised to see them take Kony Ealy to fill the void left by Michael Johnson, I have them taking a linebacker to replace the aging James Harrison. Ryan Shazier has put up over 250 tackles and 10 sacks in the past two years, and is perfectly suited to playing at outside linebacker in a 4-3 defence in the NFL.
25. San Diego Chargers- Jason Verrett, CB
Having made it to the divisional round of the playoffs, the Chargers will be pretty happy with their roster heading into the offseason. But there is one exception to this- San Diego’s glaring need at corner. None of the corners currently on their roster are rated better than ‘below average’ by PFF. To fix this, I have them taking TCU’s excellent but short Jason Verrett.
26. Cleveland Browns (from Indianapolis)- Marquise Lee, WR
After taking a QB to fill the biggest hole on the roster with their first pick in round one, things are less clear cut when it comes to the second pick. They have needs at receiver, running back, guard and inside linebacker, and there are many players they could pick. The best available is Marquise Lee, who despite a disappointing season is still a star wide receiver who would expertly compliment Josh Gordon.
27. New Orleans Saints- Dee Ford, OLB
The Saints don’t have many roster issues heading into the offseason, although their top priority will be trying to find a way to keep Jimmy Graham on the team despite having only $1.5 million in cap space. If there is one thing the team is lacking, it is a pass-rushing linebacker to complete Rob Ryan’s 3-4 defence. Dee Ford fits the bill perfectly, and if he can continue his sack production from college (10.5 in 2013), he should become a terror at the next level.
28. Carolina Panthers- Odell Beckham, WR
The Panthers have a lot of needs for a team drafting this low. Three of their 2013 starters on defence are free agents, as well as Cam Newton’s blind side protector. But the most glaring hole is a wide receiver, with only one of last season’s starters on the roster. Getting another option in the passing game who can create extra yardage will aid the team massively, and Odell Beckham does that and then some.
29. New England Patriots- Stephon Tuitt, DE
This is not an ideal spot for the patriots. There is nobody available who offers value at their two main positions of need- interior offensive line and tight end. Instead. The next best option is Notre Dame defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt. He has the ideal size to play at the next level and fits as either a 3-4 DE or 4-3 DT in New England’s multiple defensive scheme.
30. San Francisco 49ers- Kelvin Benjamin, WR
Although San Francisco will have to replace starters at both safety and cornerback in the offseason, their top priority has to be the passing game. The 49’ers were one of only three teams who passed for less than 3000 yards in the 2013 regular season, and two receiviers who combined for over 1400 of those are free agents. Kelvin Benjamin may not be a complete player yet, but the 6’5” monster has the potential to become an incredible deep threat thanks to Colin Kaepernick’s huge arm.
31. Denver Broncos- Kony Ealy, DE
This is a dream scenario for Denver, who are in a great situation on offence, but have holes on the other side of the ball. Although cornerback, linebacker and safety are all options, the best player available also fits another big need at defensive end. Kony Ealy is the second best 4-3 DE in this class, with a high motor and strong technique.
32. Seattle Seahawks- David Yankey, OG
This is the toughest pick to predict right now. The Seahawks roster is in good shape (as you would expect of the superbowl champions), but there are still free agents who need to be replaced and holes to be filled. One of the few issues Seattle had in 2013 was protecting Russell Wilson, who was under pressure on over 50% of snaps. David Yankey should not only help with this, but would also act as an upgrade over free agent Paul Mcquistan.
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