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We're almost a month away from the NFL Draft, and I have to say, it couldn't come any sooner for me. Here is my free agency edition mock draft scenario:
| Team | Selection | Position | School | Reason | Previous Pick | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Jameis Winston | QB | Florida State | It's looking more and more likely that, unless the Buccaneers trade out of the No. 1 spot, Winston is going to be their guy. He is simply the most pro-ready QB prospect out there, and I believe Tampa Bay will look past the character concerns. | Jameis Winston |
| 2 | Tennessee Titans | Leonard Williams | DT | USC | Williams is regarded as the No. 1 overall prospect in this year's draft by nearly every NFL Draft pundit. It appears as though the Titans feel confident in QB Zach Mettenberger's ability moving forward, so adding Williams to strengthen their D-line makes a lot of sense here. | Marcus Mariota |
| 3 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Dante Fowler | DE | Florida | The Jaguars already went after OT Jermey Parnell in free agency, so going after the best player available would be the smart move here. Fowler is the best edge rusher on the board and would be a great addition to Jacksonville's mediocre pass rush. | Leonard Williams |
| 4 | Oakland Raiders | Kevin White | WR | West Virginia | Oakland has had an eventful free agency, already signing 10 players who weren't on the roster last year. However, they still have a huge need at wide receiver, and White is my No. 1 WR in the draft. | Dante Fowler |
| 5 | Washington Redskins | Vic Beasley | OLB | Clemson | Beasley really impressed during the NFL Combine and is one of the top edge rushers in this class. With Brian Orakpo departing to Tennessee, the Redskins could use some pass-rushing depth, and Beasley would be a nice addition. | T.J. Clemmings |
| 6 | New York Jets | Marcus Mariota | QB | Oregon | Sadly enough, there have been reports speculating that journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick may start over Geno Smith next season. Mariota would be the best of this bunch and could provide a much-needed spark for the Jets. | Kevin White |
| 7 | Chicago Bears | Danny Shelton | NT | Washington | With the Bears moving to a 3-4, they're going to need a true nose tackle. Shelton is the only NT worth selecting this early, and this pick makes too much sense for Chicago. | Vic Beasley |
| 8 | Atlanta Falcons | Brandon Scherff | OT/OG | Iowa | Before the start of free agency, the No. 1 need for Atlanta was to grab a pass rusher. They've already signed Adrian Clayborn, Brooks Reed and O'Brien Schofield, and may look to patch things up on the O-line via the draft. Scherff has a mean streak and will provide a ton of tenacity on a team that struggled to get any push in the run game last year. | Randy Gregory |
| 9 | New York Giants | T.J. Clemmings | OT | Pittsburgh | The Giants struggled to protect Eli Manning last year and have yet to address their O-line through free agency. Clemmings is my top OT this year and can compete for the starting right tackle job or even move inside. | Brandon Scherff |
| 10 | St. Louis Rams | La'el Collins | OT/OG | LSU | This pick stays the same due to the possibility of the Rams losing three of their OTs via free agency. Collins can play almost any position on the line and will contribute right away. | La'el Collins |
| 11 | Minnesota Vikings | Amari Cooper | WR | Alabama | Despite already trading for Mike Wallace, the Vikings would be ecstatic to see Cooper's name still on the board and shouldn't hesitate to add another weapon for Teddy Bridgewater. That's a potentially scary offense. | Shane Ray |
| 12 | Cleveland Browns | Randy Gregory | DE | Nebraska | Gregory is the best player available and can help out Cleveland's pass rush with Jabaal Sheard's departure. | Danny Shelton |
| 13 | New Orleans Saints | Trae Waynes | CB | Michigan State | I've kept the same pick for the Saints three mocks in a row, but this just makes too much sense. Waynes isn't my top CB, but his combine performance will likely cause someone to reach for him. The Saints have already signed former Patriot Brandon Browner, but they still need some help after losing a couple of corners through free agency. | Trae Waynes |
| 14 | Miami Dolphins | Andrus Peat | OT | Stanford | The only bright spot on Miami's O-line last year was left tackle Branden Albert, who missed the second half last season due to a knee injury. The rest of the line needs a ton of help, and before Peat fully develops, he'll likely compete for the starting RT spot or possibly even play guard. | Ereck Flowers |
| 15 | San Francisco 49ers | Eric Kendricks | ILB | UCLA | After the shocking news involving Chris Borland's premature retirement, the 49ers are even more desperate to add an inside linebacker. Kendricks may be considered a slight reach, but he's a really great linebacker who can play the pass and stop the run. | Amari Cooper |
| 16 | Houston Texans | DeVante Parker | WR | Louisville | The Texans are without receiver Andre Johnson, and signing Cecil Shorts isn't enough. Parker is the top receiver on the board, and his talent level isn't far off from guys like Cooper and White. | DeVante Parker |
| 17 | San Diego Chargers | Todd Gurley | RB | Georgia | San Diego has a gaping hole at running back, and they have yet to address the position through free agency. Gurley is by far the most talented RB in this draft, and although he may not see the field immediately, it's a great investment for their future. | Andrus Peat |
| 18 | Kansas City Chiefs | D.J. Humphries | OT | Florida | The Chiefs had issues keeping QB Alex Smith upright all year long, and Humphries is one of the best pure tackle prospects in this year's draft. | Dorial Green-Beckham |
| 19 | Cleveland Browns | Eddie Goldman | NT | Florida State | I believe Goldman is a better fit in a 3-4 defense as a nose tackle than in a 4-3. The Browns have needs all over their D-line, and Goldman will immediately help make an impact as a gap-filling run stuffer. | Jordan Phillips |
| 20 | Philadelphia Eagles | Kevin Johnson | CB | Wake Forest | The Eagles need to prevent guys like Dez Bryant, Odell Beckham Jr. and DeSean Jackson from torching their secondary, so adding a lengthy and athletic corner like Johnson would be huge for them. | Marcus Peters |
| 21 | Cincinnati Bengals | Eric Rowe | CB | Utah | The Bengals could use some extra bodies in their secondary, and Rowe can play multiple positions. His stock continues to rise after an impressive combine performance, and this is a great get for Cincinnati. | Eric Rowe |
| 22 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Landon Collins | SS | Alabama | Once again, the Steelers are gifted Collins, who many believe is a top 10-15 prospect in the draft. Troy Polamalu hasn't been much of a reliable option for Pittsburgh as of late, and the Steelers could choose to move Collins around and have him serve as a linebacker, if need be. | Landon Collins |
| 23 | Detroit Lions | Cameron Erving | C/OG | Florida State | The Lions have somewhat addressed their need at defensive tackle by trading for Haloti Ngata and signing Tyrunn Walker. However, they still have a glaring need at left guard, and it appears they may settle with bringing back Rob Sims. I can't imagine that the Lions will be happy to run with the same starters as last year, and I think pulling the trigger on Erving would do wonders for their interior line. | Quinten Rollins |
| 24 | Arizona Cardinals | Shane Ray | DE | Missouri | I honestly don't believe this is too much of a slide for Ray. His lack of athleticism may scare away some teams, but he's still a first-round talent at a huge position of need for most teams. The Cardinals get good value toward the end of the first round. | Alvin Dupree |
| 25 | Carolina Panthers | Alvin Dupree | DE | Kentucky | The Panthers could use some help off the edge opposite of Charles Johnson. Dupree is the top pass-rushing prospect left on the board, and Carolina is lucky to see him fall into their lap. | Owamagbe Odighizuwa |
| 26 | Baltimore Ravens | Dorial Green-Beckham | WR | Missouri | With the departures of Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones, the Ravens have a huge need at wide receiver, and despite his concerns off the field, Green-Beckham is an extremely talented player with an enormous catch radius for Joe Flacco to target. | Melvin Gordon |
| 27 | Dallas Cowboys | Malcom Brown | DT | Texas | The Cowboys add some depth to their defensive interior with Henry Melton leaving for Tampa Bay. Brown is very raw but can serve as a rotational guy before he fully develops. | Kevin Johnson |
| 28 | Denver Broncos | Owamagbe Odighizuwa | OLB/DE | UCLA | Now that Wade Phillips and his 3-4 defense are in town, the Broncos are going to need to add some depth behind guys like DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller. Odighizuwa is a powerful pass rusher who could end up seeing some time as an outside linebacker and also as a defensive end in the 5-technique. | Eli Harold |
| 29 | Indianapolis Colts | Ereck Flowers | OT/OG | Miami (FL) | The Colts have made plenty of moves during free agency, but have neglected to bolster their offensive line for the most part. Flowers is the strongest O-lineman in this draft and will bring some much-needed tenacity to the Colts. | Eric Kendricks |
| 30 | Green Bay Packers | Jordan Phillips | NT | Oklahoma | The Packers have yet to re-sign either Letroy Guion or B.J. Raji. Phillips could be a nice replacement at nose tackle if they're unable to reach terms with either player. | Paul Dawson |
| 31 | New Orleans Saints | Maxx Williams | TE | Minnesota | Only makes sense for the Saints to use this pick to replace Jimmy Graham, right? Williams is definitely no Jimmy Graham, but he is a talented tight end nonetheless. | Maxx Williams |
| 32 | New England Patriots | Jaelen Strong | WR | Arizona State | Sticking with the same pick here for the Pats. Strong has his struggles with separation, but when you have a QB like Tom Brady to work on timing routes with, you're in pretty good shape. | Jaelen Strong |