The Jaguars almost were in the pole position for the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes but the Jets Jets'd it up on Monday night and the top of the draft board remains unchanged.
Meanwhile, we started the college football season with three QBs who were surefire first-round picks: Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields and Trey Lance. Now that we're more than two months into the proceedings, we can add a few more names into the mix, and while they may not fall into the surefire category, they've done nothing but help themselves with high-level performances in an otherwise topsy-turvy 2020 season.
In this week's mock draft, we have six quarterbacks go in Round 1 and half of them were off the board after five picks. The biggest risers: Alabama's Mac Jones and BYU's Zach Wilson, who have, in different ways, earned their way onto first-round radars.
OK, let's get to all the picks. Just a reminder, the draft order is based on the team record, strength of schedule and the subsequent tiebreakers.
NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
The Jets are the worst team in football. The Jets are taking Trevor Lawrence. We don't see this changing.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 2
Gardner Minshew was sidelined with an injury and while Jake Luton looked pretty good at times against the Texans, he's not the Jags' next franchise QB. That will be Justin Fields, who could very well end up being the second player drafted.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 3
This will get interesting if the Cowboys can find their way to the second overall pick. Would they consider Fields there? That's not a concern here because at No. 3 they grab arguably the best defensive player in this draft class in Micah Parsons, who would solidify a defense that has played well in recent weeks but struggled to get off the field for much of the season.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 4
If you're working from the premise that the Giants aren't going to take a QB, this is best-case scenario. Land the top tackle in the country, pencil him in on the left side, and slide 2020 first-rounder Andrew Thomas over to right tackle.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 5
Yep, that's right, Mac Jones. He's had an incredible start to the season and the combination of poise and deep-ball accuracy makes him NFL ready, sentiments Football Team currently don't share about 2019 first-rounder Dwayne Haskins.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 6
Joey Bosa signed a long-term deal before the season but Melvin Ingram could be a free agent in the spring and there's no real depth behind him in L.A. Paye is an athletic marvel who has flashed big-play ability this season.
| |||
From
Houston Texans
Round 1 - Pick 7
Tua looked pretty good on Sunday, only his second NFL start. And reuniting him with college teammate Jaylen Waddle, my No. 1 WR right now, could make the Dolphins QB even more dangerous. Waddle is done for the season after suffering an ankle injury but he is just about unstoppable when he's healthy.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 8
There are a lot of unknowns with Lance because he has so little experience, but he has first-round athleticism and arm strength. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels could have a lot of fun drawing up plays to take advantage of all the things Lance does well.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 9
The Bengals are playing their way out of a top-5 pick, which means they won't have a chance to address the offensive line here -- or at least they'll have to give it some serious thought; Joe Burrow would no doubt love to be reunited with LSU teammate Ja'Marr Chase.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 10
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.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 11
The Falcons cut Takk McKinley, their 2017 first-round pick, on Monday, which only magnified their need at pass rusher. Rosseau has opted out for 2020 but his breakout 2019 campaign led to 15.5 sacks.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 12
The Lions have a lot of needs, and yes they drafted Jeffrey Okudah third overall in the spring. Okudah has been inconsistent at times this season (we're still confident he's going to be really good) but regardless, Detroit still needs to add depth in the secondary and Patrick Surtain would be a perfect fit.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 13
Anthony Harris is on the franchise tag and it's unclear if he'll return to Minnesota after the season. Moehrig, meanwhile, is quietly having a strong season; he excels in coverage and can play both deep centerfield and closer to the line of scrimmage.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 14
Quarterback could be a consideration here but instead the Broncos focus on shoring up their secondary. 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.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 15
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.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 16
The Bears are wasting their defense because they can't find a quarterback. Wilson has been red hot through BYU's 8-0 start and has the type of playmaking ability Matt Nagy has been looking for. Wilson, in our mind, is the best parts of the college versions of Baker Mayfield and Johnny Manziel.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 17
Owusu-Koramoah is listed as a linebacker but you can find him all over the field. He's having a great 2020 campaign and he can come off the edge and has the athleticism, speed and change of direction to be an asset in coverage.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 18
Xavier Rhodes is having a strong 2020 campaign but he's on a one-year deal. Meawhile, Campbell is an intriguing height/weight/speed guy, who will continue to make his way up draft boards with another strong season at Georgia.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 19
The Eagles have again been plagued by injuries this season. Greg Ward has stepped in (just like he did last season) and Travis Fulgham has been downright dominant, but adding a player of Smith's caliber also makes sense. 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.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 20
An injury ended Chandler Jones' season and he'll be a free agent after the 2021 season, and either way the Cardinals could use an explosive young pass rusher. Oweh, one of the best athletes in this draft class, fits the description.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 21
Moses has been tentative at times this season as he recovers from an ACL injury that kept him on the sidelines for 2019. But when he returns to form he's one of the best defensive players in this class.
| |||
From
Los Angeles Rams
Round 1 - Pick 22
The Jags got their quarterback with their first first-rounder and now they add Pitts, who has Darren Waller-type dominant traits.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 23
Maliek Collins and Jonathan Hankins are in the last year of deals and Barmore, who wasn't a starter until this season, continues to get better each week.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 24
Bad news: Corey Davis and Adam Humphries are in the final year of their current deals. Good news: AJ Brown is a grown man and is just about unstoppable. More good news: Moore is electric and would give the Titans another playmaking wideout who also has return skills.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 25
Shaq Barrett is playing on the franchise tag so there are no guarantees he's back in 2021 and Jason Pierre-Paul has two years left on his deal. No defensive player has improved his draft stock like Ossai, who has been dominant for the Longhorns.
| |||
From
Seattle Seahawks
Round 1 - Pick 26
Just like the Jags, the Jets get their franchise QB and add a big-play tight end. Freiermuth isn't as athletic as Pitts (no one is) but he's TE1 in just about any other draft class.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 27
Matt Skura has struggled at times this season and he's in the final year of his deal. The Ravens would love a big-play wide receiver but it could be hard to pass on Humphrey, the anchor of a dominant offensive line at Oklahoma, where he has protected Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts, and now Spencer Rattler.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 28
Bolton is one of the best players no one talked much about heading into the SEC season and he's quietly been very good in 2020 too. Imagine his speed and explosiveness alongside Tremaine Edmunds.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 29
Jaire Alexander is the NFL's best CB, according to PFF, but there's little consistency elsewhere in the secondary. Kendrick, who is still learning the position, has been a standout on the Tigers defense through the first half of the ACC calendar.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 30
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.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 31
Drew Brees has limitations but that doesn't appear to be an impediment because he's still playing at a high level. But should he decide to hang it up after the season, Trask, who has put up huge numbers this season, would be an intriguing Plan B. He's relatively short on experience though you wouldn't know it to watch him, he gets rid of the ball quickly and accurately, and he rarely makes mistakes. We're guessing Sean Payton would welcome the chance to work with Trask in New Orleans.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 32
Leatherwood has been steady for the Crimson Tide this season and while he's not at the level of former teammate Jedrick Wills, who is now in Cleveland, he's improved each year. In Pittsburgh he'd be an insurance policy should the team not re-sign left tackle Alejandro Villanueva.
|
