Trevor Lawrence remains the nation's best player -- and it's fair to say he'd currently be the best players on the Jets roster by a large margin -- but perhaps the most amazing thing about his game is that he continues to improve. We saw that in 30-plus minutes of work against Georgia Tech on Saturday.
But that's not a story -- everyone knows about Trevor Lawrence. But for the first time this season we have five (!) quarterbacks go in Round 1. Yes, there are the usual suspects; Lawrence, Justin Fields and Trey Lance are gone after four selections. But we see appearances by Florida's Kyle Trask (he's cracked the top-32 previously) and Alabama's Mac Jones, who is one of the best deep-ball passer in college football.
Are Trask and Jones first-round talents? While they're not going to set any combine records, and there are legitimate questions about athleticism and arm strength, both players do a lot of things well and make few mistakes. That will get you a long way in college and can often make for a long NFL career, even if it's as a backup. So the long answer is, no, Trask and Jones aren't considered slam-dunk first-rounders right now but they've done plenty to improve their draft stock in recent weeks. Put another way: That's one more reason to be thankful for a college football season.
OK, let's get to this week's mock draft. And remember, the draft order below was determined using SportsLine's reverse Super Bowl odds following Week 6 action.
NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
The Jets are somehow getting worse and Lawrence somehow continues to get better -- he had a huge game against a helpless Georgia Tech team on Saturday.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
We'll get out first glimpse of Justin Fields on Saturday when Ohio State faces Nebraska. And while we like Gardner Minshew, at this point in his career he's better served as a spot starter.
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Round 1 - Pick 3
Joe Burrow is on pace to be sacked 70 times this season. That is unsustainable. Penei Sewell is the best offensive tackle in this draft class and he'll be a Day 1 starter.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
Would Washington take a high-upside franchise quarterback this high, especially since they're just two years removed from drafting Dwayne Haskins? Lance is a special talent who played just one season at NDSU, but he can do it all. Unfortunately for WFT, he'll need at least a year of seasoning before assuming the starting gig.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
The Giants have needs along the offensive line but the defense could use some upgrades too. Micah Parsons has opted out of the 2020 season but he's the No. 1 LB in this class.
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From
Houston Texans
Round 1 - Pick 6
The Dolphins entered Week 6 with the NFL's 26th-ranked defense and the lack of pass rush is a concern. Rousseau, who opted out before the season, came out of nowhere in 2019, logging 15.5 sacks for the Hurricanes. He's new to the position but there's a lot to work with and he'd give Miami a much-needed spark off the edge.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
The Falcons landed CB AJ Terrell in Round 1 in the spring and they go back to that well in 2021 with Surtain, who was arguably the best defensive back on Alabama's roster last season. Atlanta's pass defense ranks 30th -- and that goes a long way in explaining why the team moved on from Dan Quinn -- and Surtain would immediately bolster the secondary.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
This is the third straight week we have Waddle going ahead of Ja'Marr Chase. Yes, some of it is recency bias but Waddle is legit. Yes, he's undersized but he's always the fastest person on the field and is a threat to score every time he steps on the field.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
The Gators had their game postponed last weekend and that appears to be the only way to slow up Kyle Pitts. Yes, the Chargers have Hunter Henry but both he and Virgil Green will be free agents in the spring. And even if LA re-ups Henry, there's nothing wrong with giving Justin Herbert another freakish athletic target.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
Rookie CB Michael Ojemudia has been a pleasant surprise and Farley, who has opted out, is also a big, physical corner and as a converted WR he has playmaking abilities too.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
Kirk Cousins is struggling through the first month of the season but assuming he has the job in 2021, what better gift than adding Justin Jefferson's running mate at LSU. Chase was widely considered the best WR on the Tigers roster last year but Jefferson has exploded onto the NFL season through the first five games.
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Round 1 - Pick 12
This team has not been good during the Matt Patricia era (though they have won two of their last three!) and the former Patriots defensive coordinator currently has one of the NFL's worst defenses. Jarrad Davis has been solid through the first month of the season but he's in the final year of his deal. Dylan Moses is a first-round talent who returned to Alabama after tearing his ACL just before the 2019 season. He's been tentative at times this season but that's to be expected. Once he gets comfortable expect Moses to return to his pre-injury form.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
So far, so good in the Teddy Bridgewater experiment in Carolina. And if the Panthers are comfortable moving forward with Bridgewater for 2021 they could shift their focus to the O-line, which will have just one guard, Dennis Daley, under contract after the season. Meanwhile, Wyatt Davis is the best interior lineman in this class and would be a Day 1 starter.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
For the second straight year the Eagles have been beset by injuries. They have needs on both sides of the ball but after Darius Slay there isn't a lot of depth at cornerback. Tyson Campbell is a high-upside CB with all the tools NFL teams look for in cornerbacks.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
A Temple transfer who had 13 sacks in 2019, Roche has been up and down through the early part of the season though he did have four tackles for loss in Saturday's win over Pitt. He has the athleticism to play the position at the next level but he needs to continue show more consistency against ACC opponents.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
This is more of a projection at this point but Paye is an athletic marvel who will only get better with more reps. And the good news is that the Big Ten is back and Paye will have a chance to prove he deserves first-round consideration.
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Round 1 - Pick 17
It's unclear if Baker Mayfield is the future in Cleveland but giving him a player of Smith's caliber is a no-brainer. For an idea of how good Smith is, consider this: he was probably the best wideout on the Crimson Tide's roster last season, and that roster included Henry Ruggs, Jerry Jeudy and Jaylen Waddle.
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Round 1 - Pick 18
Lamont Gaillard and Mason Cole have been inconsistent at times this season at center, and the offensive line as a whole ranks in the bottom third in run blocking and pass protection. Humphrey was the glue for a Sooners O-line that protected Kyler Murray in 2019 and Jalen Hurts in 2020.
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Round 1 - Pick 19
Trask has some physical limitations that will likely see him slip to Day 2 but he does a lot of things well for having so little game experience. Meanwhile, the Pats are coming off a punchless offensive performance in a home loss to the Broncos.
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Round 1 - Pick 20
Slater was dominant at left tackle during the 2019 season, and he played right tackle the two seasons before that. He also has the versatility to line up inside and, in fact, his future may be inside at guard.
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Round 1 - Pick 21
Shaun Wade has a ton of big-game experience at Ohio State but he played mostly in the slot throughout his career and now the plan is for him to move to the outside in 2020. He's not the playmaker of former teammates and first-rounders Damon Arnette and Jeffrey Okudah, but his versatility will make him an attractive first-round option, especially if he can prove he can play outside.
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Round 1 - Pick 22
Don't laugh! Jones has been a lethal deep-ball passer this season and he always makes good decisions with the ball. The Bears are in the market for their next franchise QB and while Jones may not end up going in the first round he is generating some buzz around the league.
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From
Los Angeles Rams
Round 1 - Pick 23
Freiermuth isn't as athletic at Kyle Pitts but he can line up anywhere and stress the defense at every level.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
Horn put himself on NFL teams' radar with a strong 2019 effort but he's stepped up his play in '20. On Saturday he shut down Auburn's Seth Williams and logged the first two interceptions of his college career too.
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Round 1 - Pick 25
Not surprisingly, 2019 first-rounder Jeffrey Simmons has been really good to start the season but he could use some help on the interior. Barmore, who flashed often on Saturday against Georgia, was a part-time player a year ago and has the type of potential that could see him work his way into the first-round conversation.
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Round 1 - Pick 26
David Bakhtiari is one of the best left tackles in the NFL but he's in the final year of his deal. But even if the Packers pay him (and they should), the unit could use depth.
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Round 1 - Pick 27
Shaq Barrett is playing on the franchise tag and Jason Pierre-Paul's contract expires after the 2021 season. Oweh, meanwhile, will suit up for Penn State (their season starts this weekend!) -- he's a physical freak who is still learning the position and has a chance to drastically improve his draft stock with a strong showing this fall.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
Owusu-Koramoah is listed as a linebacker but you can find him all over the field. He can come off the edge and has the athleticism, speed and change of direction to be an asset in coverage.
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Round 1 - Pick 29
Leatherwood, who returned for his senior year instead of leaving for the draft, is off to a strong start to the 2020 campaign, and he'd be an insurance policy in Pittsburgh should the team not re-sign left tackle Alejandro Villanueva.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
Tight end Mark Andrews is a touchdown machine but the Ravens need more consistency from their wideouts. Rashod Bateman has to prove that he can consistently win at the line of scrimmage but what he put on tape last season was a lot of first-round reps. He's a really good player who looks like an NFL wideout.
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From
Seattle Seahawks
Round 1 - Pick 31
Moore played in just four games last season because of a hamstring injury, and after opting out he's now opted back in with the return of the Big Ten. He's one of the most dynamic playmakers in this draft class who is looking to build on a promising 2018 and 2019 campaign.
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Round 1 - Pick 32
The Chiefs have very few holes on offense but Kelechi Osemele is an unrestricted free agent after the season and Andrew Wylie will be a restricted free agent. Smith, who played tackle earlier in his career, is a road grader on the interior.
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