One of the most anticipated parts of the NFL season year in and year out is the draft. It is definitely the most talked about non-game event of the season and there will be hundreds of mock drafts done between now and Thursday, April 28th when the first card is read. Before all of the college bowl games and the NFL playoffs heat up, here is the second half of my first-round mock draft.
17. Cleveland Browns - Georgia Defensive Tackle Jordan Davis - This is an absolute monster that Browns would be picking up here, a 6’6” 340-pound game wrecker. He definitely has the potential to go higher than this, perhaps even into the top ten. He is a gap-stuffer and a run stopper and he excels in his role, to say the least, but he doesn’t offer much as a pass rusher. Of course, that could be the result of constant double and even triple teams while playing in the SEC, but in the NFL he might not qualify for those constant double teams when teams feel the need to devote those blockers to stopping Myles Garrett or pending free agent Jadeveon Clowney. Losing that attention could be a great opportunity to improve his game in what is really his only weak spot and force quarterbacks out of the pocket and towards edge rushers.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers - Pittsburgh Quarterback Kenny Pickett - While he is a very good college quarterback, Pickett doesn’t seem to me like a player who is going to come in and start right away. That being said, he is still probably a better option than Mason Rudolph, and if 39-year-old Ben Rothlesburger decides to come back for a farewell tour it would be a great experience for Pickett to learn under him.
19. New Orleans Saints - Penn State Wide Receiver Jahan Dotson - The Saints could go a lot of directions with this pick, including quarterback, offensive line, safety, and defensive line. Given all those needs, they are somewhat forced to take a receiver here as they just can’t have another season like this one should Michael Thomas get hurt again with Marquez Calloway as their number one target. Speaking of Thomas, if he’s ready to play by the start of next year, he will have played five games in the previous two seasons and might be the same player. Ideally, Dotson would be either their number two receiver or their slot, but with his elite hands and speed, he could be that number one guy if they need him to.
20. Minnesota Vikings - Clemson Cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. - Not too many good things can be said about Clemson this year, but Booth has been one of their bright spots this season. He has crazy athleticism and great ball skills, making him the ideal candidate to come into a struggling Minnesota secondary and make an immediate impact.
21. New England Patriots - Ohio State Wide Receiver Chris Olave - The Patriots, despite being electric recently, have plenty of needs that could be addressed with this pick. Receiver is one of those spots, as they have three set to become free agents this offseason, one of those being Jakobi Myers. Even if they didn’t, receiver would still be a hole that Olave can fill. During his career at Ohio State, he has shown that he is a polished route runner and has the big-play ability that makes him a home run threat on a team that doesn’t really have a player like that right now.
22. Cincinnati Bengals - Kentucky Offensive Lineman Darian Kinnard - The trenches are constantly a position of emphasis in the AFC North and right now the Bengals have the weak lines in a loaded division of linemen. Kinnard’s versatility to play anywhere on the line other than center makes him the perfect candidate to come in be a great wild card player for the Bengals right away.
23. Los Angeles Chargers - Alabama Wide Receiver Jameson Williams - Only two receivers are under contract for the Chargers through next year and Williams has exploded in this past season. He transferred from one elite program to another in Ohio State and Alabama so his coaching and experience won’t be questioned during his transition to the next level. He didn’t make much of an impact with Ohio State behind Garret Wilson and Chris Olave but in a starting role with Alabama he has been electric with 1,445 yards and 15 touchdowns.
24. Tennesse Titans - Colorado State Tight End Trey McBride - This is definitely my hot take of the draft, but to me, McBride is certainly the TE1 of this draft class and the Titans have a massive need at tight end. Right now their starting tight end is Geoff Swaim and he just hasn’t been good enough for a team whose main objective is to have a top-flight offense.
25. Kansas City Chiefs - Florida Cornerback Kaiir Elam - There haven’t been too many good things to talk about with this Gators team but Elam has been the lone bright spot. He has been a lockdown corner with five pass deflections and it would likely be more if receivers got enough separation on him to warrant getting the ball thrown at him. The only concern for him is his ball skills as he only has one interception this season and just six in his career at Florida.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Cincinnati Cornerback Ahmad Gardner - This is an exceptional defense for the Bucs, but also a very old defense and injuries will continue to be a problem if they choose to retain many of those players. Gardner has the potential to develop into a great NFL corner and create a one-two punch of himself and Antione Winfield that can shut down any of the league’s top wide receivers.
27. Detroit Lions (Via Los Angeles Rams) - Cincinnati Quarterback Desmond Ridder - Having picked up an elite edge rusher at number one, this is an ideal spot to pick up their quarterback of the future. Jared Goff, while still young, is not the long-term answer for this currently winless Detroit team. Ridder hasn’t looked absurdly good this year but he has led his group of five team to a top-five ranking and a College Football Playoff berth. His performance under national pressure will likely determine whether or not the Lions choose to spend their pick on him here.
28. Baltimore Ravens - Michigan Linebacker David Ojabo - While he is officially listed as a linebacker, Ojabo is truly an edge rusher who occasionally drops into coverage and he excels in that role. The Ravens are repeating their first-round pick from last year but this late in the draft I don’t think they can afford to pass on as great of a player as Ojabo in favor of a more needed position.
29. Buffalo Bills - Washington Offensive Tackle Jaxson Kirkland - The Bills have the second most paid quarterback in the league in Josh Allen and they have not done a very good job of protecting him this season. That is also a big reason why their offense has not been as good as it was last year, they just don’t have enough time to throw the ball and they don’t have the holes to run the ball. A guard might be more helpful for them, but there isn’t one available who is better than Kirkland making him the right pick here.
30. Dallas Cowboys - Penn State Safety Jaquon Brisker - While his ball skills are not elite, the rest of his game is and he has been one of the best players on a great Penn State defense this season. He is such a versatile player who can lock down receivers in man coverage, play over the top in zone, and come up to the line of scrimmage and lay big hits on running backs. The only concern is his size because at 6’1” he will be small for an NFL safety and that may drop him out of the first round.
31. Green Bay Packers - Arkansas Wide Receiver Treylon Burks - I would love to send Jahan Dotson to Green Bay, but with him off the board Burks is a nice substitute. With Aaron Rodgers potentially leaving after this season, it is definitely time to try to entice him to come back with some more weapons. Burks can play any receiver spot on the field and with no true number two receiver behind Devante Adams he can be a valuable asset for a team with expiring contracts across the board.
32. Arizona Cardinals - Cincinnati Edge Rusher Myjai Sanders - This may be a little bit early for Sanders, but the positional value is there with veteran Corey Peters in the last year of his deal and J.J. Watt constantly battling injuries. He has his breakout season in 2020 and took a step back in sacks this year, but he is still a great player with exceptional athleticism and could be an impact player on Sundays in the coming years.