A weekly exercise that began in September is finally coming to an end. My final projection is here and it will all unravel with one unforeseen trade tonight. I provided my beliefs on how some of the dramatic storylines play out; namely who San Francisco picks and who trades up for a quarterback.Â
Without further ado, let's kick this off!Â
NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
Projecting Trevor Lawrence to New York became boring until they won and Jacksonville overtook them for No. 1 overall. Now, it has become boring projecting Lawrence to the Jaguars. It all comes to an anti-climactic end Thursday night.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
Zach Wilson to New York continues to be the play.
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 From
Miami Dolphins
Round 1 - Pick 3
My head tells me Mac Jones but my gut tells me Trey Lance.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
I finally moved off my projection that a quarterback will be taken at No. 4 overall and I am already second guessing it. My head tells me that it will be Kyle Pitts but my mind still says Atlanta or another team will take a quarterback here.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
To make this clear, Ja'marr Chase would be Cincinnati's pick, not my own. He is a good player but I am a believer in fortifying the offensive line before concerning oneself with skill talent.
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 From
Philadelphia Eagles
Round 1 - Pick 6
Despite Ja'marr Chase and Kyle Pitts being off the board, Miami stays put and selects Jaylen Waddle to pair with his former quarterback - Tua Tagovailoa.
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 Mock Trade from
Detroit Lions
Round 1 - Pick 7
New England still stands out to me as a team in the quarterback market. Decisions made by Bill Belichick this offseason lead me to believe that the team is going to be aggressive in its pursuit of a new starting quarterback.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
Penei Sewell is a home run for Carolina. It must upgrade the offensive talent around Sam Darnold if he is going to have a chance to succeed.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
The Teddy Bridgewater trade should not remove Denver from the quarterback market. They can move on from Drew Lock and retain Bridgewater to serve as a bridge to Lance in this scenario.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
Dallas taking a cornerback seems like a foregone conclusion and Patrick Surtain II is the safest option.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
Dave Gettleman's inclined to add a big body. Rashawn Slater is capable of playing tackle but could be a really good interior lineman.
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 From
Miami Dolphins
Round 1 - Pick 12
Five quarterbacks in the top 10 means that Devonta Smith slides down the board. Howie Roseman looks smart for trading back and still getting one of the best players at his position.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
Alijah Vera-Tucker is more highly regarded than Christian Darrisaw and Teven Jenkins. Los Angeles does not stray from its board by adding a versatile lineman with experience at guard and tackle.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
Kwity Paye gives Minnesota a potentially competent pass rusher opposite Danielle Hunter. The Yannick Ngakoue experiment did not work out so they throw another dart at the board.
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 Mock Trade from
New England Patriots
Round 1 - Pick 15
Detroit moves back to add additional 2022 draft capital while still selecting one of the more highly regarded defensive players in this draft. A run on quarterbacks pushes other positions down.
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 Mock Trade from
Arizona Cardinals
Round 1 - Pick 16
Indianapolis moves up a few spots to take left tackle Christian Darrisaw. It costs them little to fill a huge need.
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Round 1 - Pick 17
It is not hard to envision Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock taking Micah Parsons. Linebacker is a position of need and Parsons is a top 10 caliber talent.
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Round 1 - Pick 18
Miami adds Tua Tagovailoa's former teammate to take some pressure off of the quarterback. Harris is the first running back off the board.
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Round 1 - Pick 19
Jamin Davis is a more traditional off-ball linebacker and that fits the current personnel grouping well. Washington already has a stellar defensive front.
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Round 1 - Pick 20
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah could be a versatile piece in a mock Vic Fangio defensive scheme.
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 Mock Trade from
Indianapolis Colts
Round 1 - Pick 21
Arizona is able to move back and still get a quality player at a position of need.
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Round 1 - Pick 22
There were reports that New Orleans was attempting to get ahead of Tennessee to take Caleb Farley. In this exercise, its efforts fell short.
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 From
Seattle Seahawks
Round 1 - Pick 23
New York adds some wide receiver help to assist Zach Wilson. The move would presumably allow the Jets to clear over $11 million in salary cap space by releasing Jamison Crowder.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
Pittsburgh takes Javonte Williams, a former high school linebacker, with Najee Harris off the board.
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 From
Los Angeles Rams
Round 1 - Pick 25
A reasonable train of thought leads one to believe that Jacksonville is going to target speed at wide receiver or more defensive backs. Trevon Moehrig has been a popular choice in projections.
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Round 1 - Pick 26
Cleveland adds a cornerback to compete with Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams. Ward and Williams have struggled to stay healthy so Samuel offers some insurance.
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Round 1 - Pick 27
Baltimore adds length to its edge rush unit. Jaelan Phillips is a potential top 10 talent but there are questions about his past at UCLA. The Ravens have a history of getting the most out of this position.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
New Orleans adds a big slot receiver. Rashod Bateman is able to create separation after the catch.
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Round 1 - Pick 29
Green Bay punts on the opportunity to add a wide receiver and elects to upgrade the interior defense with the selection of Zaven Collins.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
Buffalo has a need at cornerback and, despite a run on the position removing some of the top targets, they are still able to get a quality player to plug opposite Tre'Davious White.
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 From
Kansas City Chiefs
Round 1 - Pick 31
Baltimore is likely to trade back and target a wide receiver like Terrace Marshall Jr. in the second round. In this particular exercise, I have them staying put and taking the pass catcher.
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Round 1 - Pick 32
Tampa Bay has zero immediate needs so they make a luxury pick by picking the potential heir apparent to Tom Brady.
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