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Folks, it’s officially April which means that the draft picture is getting a lot clearer. We know that at least the top 3 picks are going to be quarterbacks. We know that it’s highly likely that five quarterbacks are taken in the first round and potentially even the top ten. We know that this class is extremely deep at wide receiver/pass catcher and a lot of teams are going to be even better on offense.
But there is still a lot that we don’t know. We don’t know what order those five quarterbacks will be taken in. We don’t know what teams will be aggressive to trade up to get their guy. We don’t know how teams are going to value their mid round picks this year with last year being such a unique season.
One thing that we do know for sure is that it’s fun to take an educated guess on what these teams are going to do this year and that’s exactly what we did today. I was joined with our Draft Analyst, Zac Cartee, to complete our mock Draft 4.0.
One thing that we want to emphasize is that we do our mock drafts based on what we think the teams will do, not on our own personal big boards. You can check out Zac’s big board here. So if some of these moves seem surprising then it’s because some of these teams consistently make surprising moves.
Let’s get to the fun!
1. Jacksonville Jaguars: QB Trevor Lawrence
Dan: Duh.
2. New York Jets: QB Zach Wilson
Zac:. Questions on what the Jets do with Sam Darnold will continue to arise. WIth the 49ers trading up, it is clear the Jets wanted to stay put at two for a QB and WIlson is the best available QB at this point.
3. San Francisco 49ers (Via Miami via Houston): QB Mac Jones
Dan: This pick sickens me to my core but mock drafts are all about what I think a team would do, not what I would do. Based on all of the intel coming out of San Francisco, I really think that the 49ers are going to pick him. It makes no sense to me as Jones is at best the 5th best quarterback in this class but for some reason the noise out of San Francisco is that they want him.
4. Atlanta Falcons: TE Kyle Pitts
Zac: With Julio and crew as the receiver core, Atlanta needs one more piece to complete the offense. Falcons wait until the 2nd round to get a tier two QB to learn under Matt Ryan.
5. Carolina Panthers (Via Cincinnati): QB Justin Fields
Dan: It’s no secret that the Panthers want to upgrade their quarterback position and the Panthers have to take advantage if the board falls like this to go and get their guy. Fields would be electric with Matt Rhule and this trade would pay dividends for both teams immensely.
Trade Terms:
Panthers Receive: 2021 1st Round Pick (5th Overall)
Bengals Receive: 2021 1st Round pick (8th Overall), 2021 2nd Round Pick (39th Overall), and 2022 2nd Round Pick
6. Miami Dolphins (Via Philadelphia): WR Ja’Marr Chase
Zac: Some might want a reunion between Tua and an Alabama receiver, but with Chase still on the board at 6, Miami sprints this pick up to the podium and grabs the best receiver in the draft.
7. New England Patriots (Via Detroit): QB Trey Lance
Dan: The Patriots make the splash of the draft and trade up for my QB3 in Trey Lance. Lance’s pro comparison is in the Josh Allen/Cam Newton mold. Lance can learn under Cam for this year and get ready to take the reins in 2022 and beyond.
Trade Terms:
Patriots Receive: 2021 1st Round Pick (7th Overall)
Lions Receive: 2021 1st Round Pick (15th Overall), 2022 First Round Pick, and a 2022 2nd Round Pick
8. Cincinnati Bengals (Via Carolina): OT Penei Sewell
Zac: Does Cincinnati win the 1st round? They traded down three spots, grabbed extra draft capital, and still got the player that will protect their shiny franchise QB for the next 10-15 years.
9. Denver Broncos: CB Patrick Surtain
Dan: The Broncos lost out on all of the quarterbacks as more aggressive teams traded up to get them. So they can take one of the best players available here and ride with Drew Lock for one more season. They signed Kyle Fuller but after him their cornerback class lacks a lot of depth. Surtain is the best cornerback in this draft and the need meets the value here.
10. Dallas Cowboys: Rashawn Slater
Zac: The once great offensive line of Dallas is getting a resurgence. Slater will plug in day one at a guard spot, and can play tackle as well if Smith’s injury bug comes back.
11. New York Giants: WR Devonta Smith
Dan: Sign me up for this. There are a lot of rumors circulating that Dave Gettleman LOVES Devonta Smith and I couldn’t agree with him more in this instance. Smith would compliment Kenny Golladay perfectly and he’d give the Giants another playmaker. This move would also help Daniel Jones in his development.
12. Philadelphia Eagles (Via Miami via San Francisco): LB Micah Parsons
Zac: Wide Receiver could be the pick here, but this time the Eagles learn of their inability to draft receivers at the top of the draft and pick up the electric linebacker in Micah Parsons.
13. Los Angeles Chargers: CB Jaycee Horn
Dan: This pick would have been for Caleb Farley if he wasn’t injured but unfortunately he is. There are rumblings that his injury may cause him to fall. The Chargers are thin at CB aside from Chris Harris and in a division that boasts deep receiving corps in Kansas City, Denver, and Las Vegas this is a move they have to make.
14. Jacksonville Jaguars (via Minnesota): Jaylen Waddle
Zac: Jacksonville trades up for the playmaker, Jaylen Waddle, to complete their receiver group for Lawrence. Chark, Shenault, and Waddle paired with Trevor Lawrence in an Urban Meyer offense… Jacksonville will be fun to watch!
Trade Terms:
Jacksonville Receives: 2021 1st Round Pick (14th Overall)
Minnesota Receives: 2021 1st Round Pick (25th Overall), 2021 2nd Round Pick (45th Overall)
15. Detroit Lions (Via New England): OL Alija Vera-Tucker
Dan: Dan Campbell wants football players on his team so building up the offensive line and turning it into one of the better units in the league will likely be his priority. Vera-Tucker can play almost every spot on the offensive line and he can play all of those positions well. He is fundamentally sound and would improve the Lions offensive line unit significantly.
16. Arizona Cardinals: WR Rashod Bateman
Zac: Cardinals get their future 2nd receiver to pair with Hopkins once Larry FItzgarald retires. Bateman will get a chance to get on the field early in that offense and learn from two future Hall of Fame receivers.
17. Las Vegas Raiders: LB/S Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
Dan: Normally I’d mock the best athlete in the draft to the Raiders regardless of if they were projected to be a 5th round pick or not but if the board falls like this then this makes too much sense. Koramoah would instantly help their defense and he can play multiple positions.
18. Miami Dolphins: OT/OG Christian Darrisaw
Zac: Miami gets the last piece in Darrisaw that is needed for that very young offensive line that will be protecting Tua for what they hope is years to come. Darrisaw is a brawler and will provide some toughness to their offense.
19. Washington Football Team: Edge Kwity Paye
Dan: Washington is really strong on their defensive line but the draft is all about taking the best player available. While Paye is my second edge rusher on the board, I think he’d fit Washington’s scheme best. If the board falls like this then there’s
20. Chicago Bears: EDGE Gregory Rousseau
Zac: The Bears “MO” has always been, win with a strong defense. With picking Rousseau they replace what they lost two years ago in Floyd. What a dream place for Rousseau, as he now gets to refine his pass rush moves with Khalil Mack! Rousseau is going to be a beast, but he is young and is inexperienced as he only has one year of production at the collegiate level.
21. Indianapolis Colts: S Trevon Moehrig
Dan: The Colts defense was solid last year so why not add another good piece to it? Trevon Moehrig is a versatile player who can play both safety positions and wreak havoc on athletic offenses.
22. Tennessee Titans: WR Terrance Marshall Jr
Zac: Titans quickly replace Corey Davis with another big body receiver. Marshall has been largely overlooked by Chase and Jefferson in the LSU offense. The duo of Marshall and AJ Brown will be more than enough for Tannehill.
23. New York Jets: CB Caleb Farley
Dan: The Caleb Farley injury free fall ends here. The Jets get one of the most dynamic cornerbacks in the draft due to him falling because of injury. The next move gives the Jets the flexibility to take this risk with Farley’s long term health….
24. New York Jets (Via Pittsburgh Steelers): OT Samuel Cosmi
Zac: Cosmi goes off the board in the 1st round. Likely the pick the Steelers would’ve made here had they kept the pick, instead it is the Jets making the pick. The Jets now have the tackle positions filled to protect Wilson.
Trade Terms:
Jets Receive: 2021 1st Round Pick (24th overall)
Steelers Receive: Sam Darnold, 2021 2nd round Pick (34th Overall), and 2021 5th Round Pick (147th overall)
25. Minnesota Vikings (via Jacksonville): Edge Jaelan Phillips
Dan: We all saw the Vikings add Edge Rusher Yannick Ngakoue and that experiment failed miserably due to the Vikings defense becoming swiss cheese. So trading back, netting the second round pick that they initially traded for Ngakoue, and taking a very solid Edge Rusher at 25 makes a whole lot of sense.
26. Cleveland Browns: LB Zaven Collins
Zac: The winner of the best linebacker in college football last year goes to the Browns. A much needed position has been filled by the Browns as Collins is above average in pass coverage for Joe Woods 4-2-5 defense and he can rush the passer as well on 3rd downs.
27. Baltimore Ravens: OT Taven Jenkins
Dan: With uncertainty regarding the status of Orlando Brown, who wants to be traded so that he can play left tackle, the Ravens take a true right tackle who is an absolute mauler in the run game with this pick. Unfortunately for them, all of the alpha pass catchers went before they picked at 27 so this pick will have to suffice.
28. New Orleans Saints: WR Rondale Moore
Zac: Emanuel Sanders is now out of the Saints organization. The Saints believe they have their future QB on the roster already, so they provide a speedy 2nd option across from Thomas here in Moore. An option in the slot, on the outside, or in a hybrid position. Saints’ Head Coah, Sean Payton, is going to have a day making plays to get Moore and Hill on the field at the same time.
29. Green Bay Packers: WR Kadarius Toney
Dan: The Packers were close last year but ultimately they dropped their fourth NFC title game in the Aaron Rodgers era. The reality of their situation is that they need a better WR2 than Allen Lazard/Marquez Valdes-Scantling. They have what it takes to win the Super Bowl and this move only makes their offense more explosive.
30. Buffalo Bills: CB Greg Newsome II
Zac: The Bills offense is ready to go! With this pick they are now suring up their defense to make a deep run in the AFC. The way to make it to the Super Bowl from now on will be through Kansas CIty and Mahomes, their offense can compete, and now they are making sure they can slow Mahomes down.
31. Kansas City Chiefs: OT Jaylen Mayfield
Dan: There’s not a doubt in my mind that the Chiefs are going to take an offensive tackle after cutting Mitchell Schwartz and Eric Fisher. Mayfield is the best one left on my board. They need to protect Patrick Mahomes at all cost.
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: RB Najee Harris
Zac: Tampa Bay goes in a similar route as Kansas City last year. Tampa has used a running back by committee previously, but here Najee Harris is a three down back that can run hard, hurdle, and catch the ball out of the backfield. A backfield that also consists of one Tom Brady… Here the rich get much richer.
YOU ARE RIGHT !!!!!!! WITH SEWELL……….THE BENGALS WIN THE FIRST ROUND’