Now that we have had the combine and with free agency starting soon, the NFL off-season is finally in full swing. With so much going on currently, many mock drafts are seeing drastic changes, and mine is no different. To spice things up, I have decided to include a few prospective trades this time around. They may not be accurate, but they at least help us project who may be interested in moving up or down in the upcoming months.
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Here it is, My NFL Draft March Mock Part One.
1. Houston Texans- Khalil Mack, OLB
You heard it here first. It may seem mad, but I think Khalil Mack is more likely to go number one overall that Jadaveon Clowney. Although I would personally go with a QB if I was in this position, more and more reports suggest the Texans may not take a signal caller first overall, but instead go with one later on or trade for Ryan Mallett. If that is the case, an edge rusher is the most likely pick. And although Clowney has the most raw ability, his red flags and scheme fit means he doesn’t make sense to me here.
Khalil Mack makes much more sense in Romeo Crennel’s ‘old school’ 3-4 defence at outside linebacker, but the reasons for taking him here go far beyond just this. Mack has been rising up draft boards throughout the season (he was pegged in at 29 in my midseason mock and 12th last month), but he has seen his most significant rise in the past few weeks. Not only have many become more impressed with his motor and play-making ability after re-viewing his tape, but a stellar combine (where his measurable gave him an impressive 78 on Pat Kirwan’s explosiveness metric) and strong pro-day has seen his draft stock deservedly sky rocket. Considering his physical tools, versatility scheme fit and lack of red flags, Mack makes sense at number one.
2. St. Louis Rams > Cleveland Browns (give up two 2014 1st round picks)- Teddy Bridgewater, QB
This is St. Louis’ dream scenario. Both the top QB (Bridgewater) and the player with the best raw talent (Clowney) are still on the board, and so they are likely to see a lot of tempting offers. The best will likely come from Cleveland, who have the attraction of two 2014 first round picks. Considering the Browns desperation for a top notch signal caller and hoard of draft picks (they have an extra first, third and fourth), they are one of the top candidates to trade up.
Despite the recent rumours about Manziel and Carr, we still don’t really know who the Browns new front office likes. I expect them to take the best player they can get their hands on without breaking the bank, and in this case it is Bridgewater. Even may have fallen out of favour in many mocks recently, but he is still a fantastic player with both the arm and brain. Contrary to many of the gambles Cleveland have made at QB in the past decade, Teddy is as pro ready as they come out of college, and I expect him to have a strong pro day that will solidify him as the best player in the draft at his position.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars- Johnny Manziel, QB
In my last mock draft, I said I expected Jadaveon Clowney to ‘destroy the combine and not to make it past pick five in May’ when analysing the Jaguars pick. Although he had an outstanding 40 yard dash time, he put up a disappointing number of reps on the bench press, and did nothing to quieten the questions about his character. With this is mind, and the Jaguars desperate need for solutions, not problems, I see them now less likely to take the defensive end. Johnny football is a more than adequate alternative; combining the excitement the organisation needs to try to get more bums on seats (they are one of only five teams to have an average home game attendance of fewer than 60,000) with the ability to turn around a beleaguered franchise (only the Jaguars and the Browns have had their original pick [ignoring trades] in the top seven of the 2014-12 drafts).
4. St. Louis Rams- Jake Mathews, OT
Even if they trade down to four, they should have the chance to have their pick of either of the top two tackles and Sammy Watkins. Mathews is still the smart pick here for me due to his top technique and experience at both left and right tackle.
5. Oakland Raiders > Tampa Bay Buccaneers (give up 1st and 3rd)- Jadaveon Clowney, DE
This is a fantastic position for Oakland. I would be surprised to see them target a QB here at five, but as they have holes all over the starting line-up there are a number of way they could go here. Considering who is still available and their large number of needs, it makes sense to me here for them to trade down and recoup some more picks.
The most attractive player for many here is Jadaveon Clowney. Despite the concerns I mentioned above, he has too much potential for teams to ignore him. He fits perfectly into the Buccaneers 4-3 defence as a DE, and fills their largest need. A pass rusher would be a great addition to a unit who already have a ‘spine’ of three elite players, but had difficulty getting to the quarterback last year.
6. Atlanta Falcons- Greg Robinson, OT
This is a pick that hasn’t changed since last time, and has no need to. The Falcons need help in the trenches, and could be one of the teams looking to trade up for Clowney. Another option is shoring up the offensive line, which was ranked 30th at pass blocking by PFF and was of little help in the running game (the team was one of only nine whose YPC was less than 4). Although Greg Robinson is not as polished as Jake Mathews, the redshirt sophomore has tonnes of potential, something which was underline by his outstanding combine.
7. Oakland Raiders- Sammy Watkins, WR
Despite trading down, the Raiders still get a fantastic player here at seven. Sammy Watkins is the best receiver in this class, and his hands and ability to create yards of the catch would be of great value to a team who had only one player with over 50 catches in 2013
8. Minnesota Vikings- Derek Carr, QB
Another pick which has not changed, and with good reason. Minnesota’s top priority is at quarterback, especially after locking up Everson Griffen to a large five year deal. Despite Blake Bortles going as high as first overall in some mocks, I see David Carr as the better prospect, with has a fantastic arm which could get the most out of Greg Jennings and Cordarrelle Patterson
9. Buffalo Bills- Eric Ebron, TE
With multiple needs but not any glaring holes, there are multiple options for Buffalo here, and I expect things to become a lot clearer after free agency. At the moment, it makes sense for them to take the best player available, and that is tight end Eric Ebron. Their previous starter, Scott Chandler is a free agent, and this is the perfect time to find a better-than-average starter. Ebron has big play potential over the middle, and should do a lot to aid EJ Manuel’s development as a QB.
10. Detroit Lions- Darqueze Dennard, CB
I would not be surprised to see the Lions go with Mike Evans here at 10, as he would finally fill the void alongside Calvin Johnson on offence. But they can afford to look elsewhere and return to the position later on thanks to the incredible depth at receiver in this class. Instead, I see the team addressing their next biggest need at cornerback. Dennard impressed at the combine with a 4.51 40, and would be a valuable upgrade to a secondary which ranked in the bottom ten in the league last year.
11. Tennessee Titans- Taylor Lewan, OT
In my last mock, I have the Titans taking QB Blake Bortles. Although this is still a possibility, reports since have suggested Tennessee is definitely going to stick with Locker for at least one more year. As a result, I now have them looking elsewhere, and shoring up their offensive line is a good place to start. David Stewart has started to decline over the past few years, and he could easily become a cap casualty this offseason. Taylor Lewan would make for an excellent replacement, with a prototype build and top notch speed. He may need some work on his technique, but he has the potential to become a top starter in the future.
12. New York Giants- Anthony Barr, OLB
Although Taylor Lewan would probably be the Giants ideal choice here, Anthony Barr is not a bad plan B. Although he has only played two years at outside linebacker, he has outstanding athleticism and a penchant for making big plays. Combine this with the Giants need for an outside linebacker, and the pick makes perfect sense.
13. St. Louis Rams- Hasean Clinton-Dix, FS
This pick needs little explanation, especially as it has not changed from by February Mock. Clinton-Dix is the best safety in this class, and could immediately be plugged in at free safety to improve the Rams secondary.
14. Chicago Bears- Aaron Donald, DT
This pick is tough to predict, as the Bears have multiple needs on defence and many players still to choose from. With it looking more-and-more likely they target a defensive end in free agency, the next priority is shoring up the interior. Aaron Donald fits perfectly as a 3-technique in a 4-3 scheme like the Bears run, and if he can transfer his college form to the pros he could become one of the very best.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers > Arizona Cardinals (give up 1st and 2nd)- CJ Mosley, OLB
Although the Steelers could easily go with a number of players here, trading down makes the most sense considering their tight cap space a wide range of needs. With it looking more and more likely they go after an OT in the next week, it would be smart for Arizona to address their next biggest need in the first round by picking up an outside linebacker. CJ Mosley is an incredible pro-ready prospect with a wide skill set, and so it makes sense to move to go and get a top player like him.
16. Dallas Cowboys > San Francisco 49’ers (give up 1st, Kansas City’s 2nd and Tennessee’s 3rd)- Mike Evans, WR
The Dallas Cowboys have very little cap room to play with, and so it makes sense to trade down in the draft, so they can get themselves some talent for far less than it would cost via free agency. With a huge hall of picks, it also makes sense for San Francisco to be aggressive and trade up to get a top tier player to add to their already fantastic team. Despite re-signing Anquan Boldin, the 49’ers still need another receiver, and getting a player who can spread the field and make the most out of Colin Kaepernick’s rocket arm would be perfect. Mike Evans has the ability to do just that, and would give a much needed boost to last year’s 30th ranked passing offence.
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