Duck's Mock Draft 3.0

[indifference]

Good Bucs pick there at 7. Running game has been a problem for two years now and Nelson coming in would be huge help in that. Pamphile has been trash and I think having a player like Nelson next to Don Smith will make him play better. Sweezy is cut bait IMO

 

Smith-Nelson-Marpet-Dotson would be the core. Probably go draft a C in round 3 after taking a DE round 2.

[Forge]

Still living and dying on the Nelson to 49ers bandwagon. Given our spot in the draft, it's becoming a little more likely since teams are reticent to take guards that high. Fitzpatrick could work...may not. Right now, the only way he works is if you think that he can play boundary corner at the next level, which a lot of people do not think that he can, and I don't know that he can at a level that would justify a top 5 selection. Safety is probably the strongest position on the team right now, so he's not a fit there right now. Could change of course; Reid is a FA that may not be back, Ward could get moved back to corner. So will have to see on that. 

[chargerbuckeye]

On 12/19/2017 at 9:39 AM, Da_Ducktator said:

Updated from last week. With Christmas next week and the fact I will be traveling for the holidays, I likely won't update this again until after Week 17. Enjoy!

1. Cleveland Browns - QB Josh Rosen, UCLA

• Rinse and repeat. Until we get at least past the Combine, we have no clue exactly how this team will solve it's quarterback situation. I'll keep plugging in Rosen until we have concrete answers.

2. New York Giants - QB Sam Darnold, USC

• Still leaning towards the notion Darnold stays in school. The Giants would love it if he did declare though.

3. Indianapolis Colts - EDGE Bradley Chubb, North Carolina State

• This squad has a lot of weaknesses with few bright spots and need to take whoever the best player on their board is, no matter position. For me, the top three in this draft are Quenton Nelson, Saquon Barkley, and Bradley Chubb so I'll lean towards the position here that carries the highest value.

4. Cleveland Browns (from Houston) - RB Saquon Barkley, Penn State

• Things just keep getting peachier and peachier for the Browns. The Texans continue to get worse and drive up the value of their second pick. We'll see what John Dorsey ultimately values but this would be quite the position to be in, to be able to completely overhaul the Browns backfield with two potential generational talents.

5. San Francisco 49ers - CB/S Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama

• Jimmy G continues to win. While it hurts their draft position, this team has a fair amount of young talent and building some motivation behind the new franchise QB going into next year is better than maintaining a high pick. That all said, the secondary for the 49ers have been up and down could really benefit from a versatile piece like Fitzpatrick.

6. Chicago Bears - WR Calvin Ridley, Alabama

• The Island of Misfit Toys would be an accurate representation of the Bears receiver corps right now.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - OG Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame

• This is a tough decision between Nelson and OT like Brian O'Neill. The Bucs were getting great play out of C Ali Marpet and RT Demar Dotson. The rest of the line has been been bad though and J.R. Sweezy (who has also played poor) is the only one signed past 2019. Dotson is older but the team had high hopes for Donovan Smith coming into the year so maybe they give him one more chance in a contract year. Nelson would slide right in at LG which could also be another nice benefit for Smith to be paired with a stud like Nelson.

8. Cincinnati Bengals - OT Brian O'Neill, Pittsburgh

• This offensive line is miserable. Whether it's Nelson, O'Neill, Connor Williams, they have to bolster this unit. O'Neill is an unbelievable athlete at tackle and at the worst, could contribute immediately on the right side and potentially even right away on the left side.

9. Denver Broncos - OT/OG Connor Williams, Texas

• The Broncos winning certainly hurt their chances at adding an offensive dynamo like Barkley who I projected to them last week. The offensive line play in Denver has really fallen off this year. I like Garrett Bolles future and Ronald Leary should be a rock solid starter, but all the other spots could use upgrades. Williams and Bolles could be an enticing combo. I could see Denver going defense as well though just to bolster that strength.

10. New York Jets - QB Josh Allen, Wyoming

• This team doesn't have an NFL quarterback on the roster below the age of 38. Bryce Petty is a questionable NFL talent and it's laughable Christian Hackenberg still has a roster spot, let alone was selected in the second round. 

11. Arizona Cardinals  - QB Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma

• The Blaine Gabbert experiment ended rather shortly after Bruce Arians said just a couple weeks ago they would like to have Gabbert around next season as he is now being benched for the woefully ineffective Drew Stanton. The Cards are reportedly preparing for Arians to retire though which could shake things up slightly. Either way, Carson Palmer isn't getting younger and they need a quarterback.

12. Oakland Raiders - LB Rashaan Evans, Alabama

• Derwin James is tempting to me because it just seems like a Raiders thing to do, to take a freak like James and try to find a fit for him on the defense. But adding a versatile linebacker like Rashaan Evans fills a clear need for this team.

13. Washington Redskins - EDGE Clelin Ferrell, Clemson

• One of Kirk Cousins or Junior Galette are likely to walk. For now, I'll say it's Galette and adding a pass rusher like Ferrell would be nice replacement.

14. Miami Dolphins - OT Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame

• Tempting to put Roquan Smith here, but they selected Raekwon McMillan in the second round last year and are paying Kiko Alonso big money. Not sure how well Roquan would fill the SLB role that is left vacant as he fits more as a ILB/WLB so I think it's an issue they worry about later in the draft. Dolphins still need a RT to pair with Tunsil and McGlinchey fits the bill.

15. Los Angeles Chargers - DT Vita Vea, Washington

• Kareem Hunt found life again after some poor weeks, marking the second time he lit up the Chargers this year. Vea is a freak of nature that should immediately help the run defense and pass rush for the Chargers. The secondary for this team has looked great this year and Derwin James would be interesting if they let Tre Boston walk. They also need LB help which again, James could help with or even Roquan, but I'll stick with Vea for now.

16. Green Bay Packers - S/LB Derwin James, Florida State

• Morgan Burnett is due to become a free agent. James would be an interesting fit as a replacement and at the least should test similarly to Burnett who had a freakish Pro Day at Georgia Tech.

17. Baltimore Ravens - DL Da'Ron Payne, Alabama

• The Ravens have two great pieces on the D-Line in Brandon Williams and Michael Pierce, but they struggled to stop the run when Williams was hurt earlier in the year. Add-in that Ozzie Newsome loves his 'Bama boys and Payne is a logical fit to bolster the defensive line.

18. Detroit Lions - RB Derrius Guice, LSU

• They are obviously over Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick is a great weapon but not the between the tackles runner that Guice is. This could finally shore up the Lions' massive inconsistencies running the ball.

19. Seattle Seahawks - OG Will Hernandez, UTEP

• Offensive line will continue to be this teams top need until they bring in somebody else other than Duane Brown. It's no wonder the run game has been dreadful since Marshawn Lynch left.

20. Dallas Cowboys - DT Christian Wilkins, Clemson

• Rodney Hudson continued a strong season by manhandling the Cowboys interior while Beast Mode rattled off a strong game. Safety is also a concern and having Ronnie Harrison fall could be appetizing. If Dallas had the option of both though then it's a dream situation for them to add another piece to the defense.

21. Tennessee Titans - C/OG Billy Price, Ohio State

• The Titans need to upgrade their interior offensive line play. Price might ultimately be kept out of the 1st round if his testing is below average (as expected), but on tape he is a great center who wins with leverage and tenacity.

22. Buffalo Bills - CB Denzel Ward, Ohio State

• Cornerback certainly isn't a big need for this team with the stud play of Tre White, but it wouldn't hurt to add another corner to the mix, specifically if a fluid cover man like Ward fell to the 20's.

23. Atlanta Falcons - CB Joshua Jackson, Iowa

• Word is Matt Ryan has threatened to retire if the Falcons don't shore up the cornerback position.

24. New Orleans Saints - QB Lamar Jackson, Louisville

• This pick will ultimately come down to (if a QB does fall) whether they want to invest in the future or look more for an instant impact for a team with tons of talent on both sides.

25. Buffalo Bills (from Kansas City) - EDGE Austin Bryant, Clemson

• At least one of their 1st rounders has to go to improving the defensive line as the run defense is horrendous and the pass rush isn't great. Roquan Smith would make sense here too with a group of no-name linebackers.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars - TE Mark Andrews, Oklahoma

• Blake Bortles continues to get the job done. I think we all realize he is never going to be an elite QB, but as I continue to harp on, he has played good enough on a star-studded to roster to not consider replacing him anytime soon. Continue to give him weapons and a big-bodied pass catcher like Andrews will ensure that Blake stays on track.

27. Los Angeles Rams - LB Roquan Smith, Georgia

• The Rams would be in love if they could improve their linebacker corps with a player like Smith. This team has given up five touchdowns to tight ends the last two weeks, letting Luke Willson into the endzone this Sunday.

28. Carolina Panthers - WR Courtland Sutton, SMU

• Greg Olsen returned to form as a receiver and what do you know, we saw another great Cam Newton performance. Maybe that means Mike Gesicki would be a better fit here, but Sutton should test well and if he performs well at the Senior Bowl, those two things will lock up a 1st round selection.

29. Pittsburgh Steelers - S Ronnie Harrison, Alabama

• You would probably see tears of joy if a do-it-all safety like Harrison fell to the Steelers after what Gronk did to them this past week. Sean Davis has been awful all year and they desperately need to replace him.

30. Minnesota Vikings - DT Taven Bryan, Florida

• Considered Bryan at multiple points earlier as his freakish athletic ability is going to drive him up boards. Sharrif Floyd is constantly injured and likely to walk. Linval Joseph has been amazing but adding another pass rusher with Bryan's athletic traits is enticing.

31. New England Patriots - EDGE Arden Key, LSU

• It's shocking to me that a Bill Belichick led team has allowed the front seven to become so average. Trey Flowers was the only one really doing much of anything against the Steelers on Sunday and it's clear they need to invest a lot into this area in the off-season.

32. Philadelphia Eagles - OT Orlando Brown, Oklahoma

• I have no belief whatsoever that the Eagles win the Super Bowl, but they currently have the best record in football so here they are at 32. Adding a mean All-American like Orlando Brown to add depth to this offensive line would be big (literally).

Why in gods green earth does derwin fall to 17. Baker is not going in rd 1, Colts aren't passing on Barkley if Jim Harbaugh has anything to say about it, Key is not falling that far, Neither is Lamar Jackson, too high for nelson, Roquan doesn't fall that far, And The Chargers need a run stuffer, but they won't pass on wilkins or payne if one of them is available

[LinderFournette]

9 minutes ago, chargerbuckeye said:

Why in gods green earth does derwin fall to 17. Baker is not going in rd 1, Colts aren't passing on Barkley if Jim Harbaugh has anything to say about it, Key is not falling that far, Neither is Lamar Jackson, too high for nelson, Roquan doesn't fall that far, And The Chargers need a run stuffer, but they won't pass on wilkins or payne if one of them is available

Wanna bet baker goes round 1?

[Rich7sena]

I'm not a fan of any second level linebacker to the Raiders in the first round. I'd also bet against it. Since Reggie McKenzie took over, the team hasn't drafted a true second level linebacker before the 5th round. Even though he's not a direct need, Derwin James would'e been the better and more realistic pick. Also consider: Vita Vea, Maurice Hurst, Derrius Guice, Courtland Sutton, Denzel Ward.

Check out my mock:

 

[Da_Ducktator]

1 hour ago, chargerbuckeye said:

Why in gods green earth does derwin fall to 17. Baker is not going in rd 1, Colts aren't passing on Barkley if Jim Harbaugh has anything to say about it, Key is not falling that far, Neither is Lamar Jackson, too high for nelson, Roquan doesn't fall that far, And The Chargers need a run stuffer, but they won't pass on wilkins or payne if one of them is available

There is a lot going on here with little to no proper punctuation.

• Who knows exactly where Derwin will go as of now since he lacks ball skills. Box safety/hybrids generally do not go super high
• See below
• What in the heck does Jim Harbaugh have to do with Saquon Barkley being drafted by the Colts? I'm literally completely baffled on this one.
• Key has off-field issues and play good, not great this year. His testing is going to have to be superb to lock himself into the top 20 in what is a pretty solid defensive line class.
• Nobody has any idea where Jackson is going at this point. Literally nobody. Testing and interviews arguably won't be more important for any other prospect.
• Nelson is the best guard prospect arguably since Steve Hutchinson. If Zack Martin went top 16, fully expect Nelson to flirt with top 10.
• As I touched on before, a single off-ball linebacker has gone top 10 in the last seven drafts and that was Luke Kuechley who had one of the most brilliant college careers we've ever seen for a LB and insane testing. If he doesn't measure up with the Shazier's, Wagner's, and Kendricks' in testing, I really doubt he goes in the top half of the 1st.
• I gave the Chargers a freaking 350 lbs. man who eats double teams for breakfast and you're going to complain about them passing on Christian Wilkins, who is significantly lighter and while solid against the run, his stock is built on quickness and burst on the interior to create pressure on passing downs.

I probably shouldn't even taken the time to address this post, but oh well. Guess it was better than a novel about the Falcons.

1 hour ago, LinderFournette said:

Wanna bet baker goes round 1?

I'm not even a big Baker guy, but I'm not blinded by personal evaluation to keep him out of the 1st round in a mock. As long as he doesn't bomb testing, he will go some point the first round. Bovada released a prop bet on Baker's O/U in the draft being 10.5. They are in the business to make money aren't going to open it up at that high of a spot if they aren't assured he is going to at least crack the first.

[chargerbuckeye]

5 minutes ago, Da_Ducktator said:

There is a lot going on here with little to no proper punctuation.

• Who knows exactly where Derwin will go as of now since he lacks ball skills. Box safety/hybrids generally do not go super high
• See below
• What in the heck does Jim Harbaugh have to do with Saquon Barkley being drafted by the Colts? I'm literally completely baffled on this one.
• Key has off-field issues and play good, not great this year. His testing is going to have to be superb to lock himself into the top 20 in what is a pretty solid defensive line class.
• Nobody has any idea where Jackson is going at this point. Literally nobody. Testing and interviews arguably won't be more important for any other prospect.
• Nelson is the best guard prospect arguably since Steve Hutchinson. If Zack Martin went top 16, fully expect Nelson to flirt with top 10.
• As I touched on before, a single off-ball linebacker has gone top 10 in the last seven drafts and that was Luke Kuechley who had one of the most brilliant college careers we've ever seen for a LB and insane testing. If he doesn't measure up with the Shazier's, Wagner's, and Kendricks' in testing, I really doubt he goes in the top half of the 1st.
• I gave the Chargers a freaking 350 lbs. man who eats double teams for breakfast and you're going to complain about them passing on Christian Wilkins, who is significantly lighter and while solid against the run, his stock is built on quickness and burst on the interior to create pressure on passing downs.

I probably shouldn't even taken the time to address this post, but oh well. Guess it was better than a novel about the Falcons.

I'm not even a big Baker guy, but I'm not blinded by personal evaluation to keep him out of the 1st round in a mock. As long as he doesn't bomb testing, he will go some point the first round. Bovada released a prop bet on Baker's O/U in the draft being 10.5. They are in the business to make money aren't going to open it up at that high of a spot if they aren't assured he is going to at least crack the first.

Payne and wilkins are better fits for our defense and they are in general, better than vea. As for harbaugh, i predict he willl be in indianapolis next year and will have what he wants there in terms of control.

[LinderFournette]

3 hours ago, Da_Ducktator said:

 

I'm not even a big Baker guy, but I'm not blinded by personal evaluation to keep him out of the 1st round in a mock. As long as he doesn't bomb testing, he will go some point the first round. Bovada released a prop bet on Baker's O/U in the draft being 10.5. They are in the business to make money aren't going to open it up at that high of a spot if they aren't assured he is going to at least crack the first.

Im a believer in baker.  To me he seems like tebow in terms of intangibles and competitiveness but i love his fit in a west coast scheme like the jags run. 

[Ghostnote]

On 12/19/2017 at 12:39 PM, Da_Ducktator said:

13. Washington Redskins - EDGE Clelin Ferrell, Clemson

• One of Kirk Cousins or Junior Galette are likely to walk. For now, I'll say it's Galette and adding a pass rusher like Ferrell would be nice replacement.

Junior Galette walking is not a really good justification to adding another edge rusher. Considering we have Preston Smith, Ryan Kerrigan as the starters, with Trent Murphy coming off injury and just drafting Ryan Anderson. WR, RB, ILB in this position so long as Cousins returns, otherwise QB. 

[48 1/2ers]

I like Minkah for the niners, but lke @Forge said, the Safety position is the last think they need. Minkah the Cornerback is something I could get behind, thats my #1 need for them and player like Lattimore/Rhodes/Ramsey in this draft would really fill a huge hole. If Minkah can match that then sign me up. 

[ttitansfan4life]

Honestly would rather have Roqaun Smith over Price.

[Dr.O]

give me Baker over Josh Allen 

[Zithers2]

The Panthers won't care if Courtland Sutton tests well, for what it's worth. Never been big on combine warriors or anything. Not that I think the pick is bad or anything, just something to consider.

Though honestly I would rather get a TE, S, or DE than a wideout in the first.

[bucsfan333]

On 12/20/2017 at 1:01 PM, indifference said:

Good Bucs pick there at 7. Running game has been a problem for two years now and Nelson coming in would be huge help in that. Pamphile has been trash and I think having a player like Nelson next to Don Smith will make him play better. Sweezy is cut bait IMO

 

Smith-Nelson-Marpet-Dotson would be the core. Probably go draft a C in round 3 after taking a DE round 2.

At seven, yes. Especially with Barkley, Chubb, and Fitzpatrick off the board.

Nelson might be the best player in the draft.