FanPost

Crazy Early Round #1 Mock Draft

Draft positions were obtained from tankathon.

1
Team Prospect Pos School
New York Giants (via CLE) Josh Rosen QB UCLA
Rosen has no interest in going to Cleveland and it creates a similar scenario NY found itself in when Eli Manning came into the league. Rather than let Cleveland draft Rosen and hold him for ransom, they come to a deal to move up just one spot and get the QB of their choice. Rosen comps very well with Manning so whether or not they turn to him or hold on to Manning for one more season, it should be a smooth transition.

2
Team Prospect Pos School
Cleveland (via NYG) Sam Darnold QB USC
It isn't necessarily ideal for Cleveland as Darnold isn't ready to take over day one. They may yet add a vet to play QB but they will have to pay one well to convince him to join. That said, Darnold has a very high ceiling and Cleveland has to take swings at this position until they get it right. Their defense has a lot of young talent and they have many draft picks to build talent on the other side.

3
Team Prospect Pos School
Indianapolis Colts Saquon Barkley RB Penn State
Indy could desperately use O-line help but when the best player in the entire draft is staring you in the face, and he is at a position of need, how can you pass that up. Hopefully they use every other avenue to find players to protect Luck next year. Barkley looks better than Ezekiel Elliot. He is drawing comparisons to Marshall Faulk.

4
Team Prospect Pos School
Cleveland Browns Minkah Fitzpatrick S Alabama
Tempting to continue adding offensive players to the Browns here but the best available are on the defensive side. Their D is young and talented and Fitzpatrick may be the addition that puts them over the top.

5
Team Prospect Pos School
Denver Broncos Bradley Chubb ED NC State
This isn't a big position of need for Denver but they love to add pass rushers wherever possible. I believe Elway will seek a vet to play QB, probably Smith or Cousins, and give Paxton Lynch another couple years to get it together while backing up said vet. Chubb is the best pass rusher in this class and that value comes at a premium, so you take what is available to you.

6
Team Prospect Pos School
New York Jets Josh Allen QB Wyoming
I'm not high on Allen and I think he will fall quite a bit before the draft, but for now I have him here. NYJ has got to take a QB for the future. It could be that Mayfield or even Jackson look like the better options here (Allen was very bad this year) by draft time.

7
Team Prospect Pos School
Miami Dolphins (via TB) Quenton Nelson G Notre Dame
A guard in the top 7 and Miami trades up to take him?! It's pretty crazy but Nelson is the second best player in this draft omitting position considerations. Miami has desperate need all over their line (they started Bears' castoffs Ted Larson and Jermon Bushrod at G this season). Nelson can be a perennial all-pro.

8
Team Prospect Pos School
Chicago Bears Arden Key ED LSU
Key comes with a bit of risk (of course, right?). His 2016 season was phenomenal but he started 2017 with an injury and a weight issue. Additionally, there were concerns that he wasn't motivated to continue football. But if he plays to his potential in the NFL, we'd be talking about a guy who can contend for the league sack lead. He is very similar to Leonard Floyd even having many of the same pros and cons. If Goldman and Hicks can push pockets, Floyd and Key could find a lot of success if they show flexibility and speed around the edge.

9
Team Prospect Pos School
San Francisco 49ers Calvin Ridley WR Alabama
Inevitably, even at the chagrin of fans, a WR or 2 is taken early, regardless of their pre-draft evaluations. Not that Ridley is not a strong player, he is ready to contribute day one. SF would like to add help for Garoppolo and the receivers they have currently can be described as no better than competent. Ridley can likely grab 70+ and 700+ yards straight out of the gate.

10
Team Prospect Pos School
Oakland Raiders Roquan Smith ILB Georgia
Hard to argue with the impact Smith had on defense this year. He was especially noticeable during the playoffs. He is getting comps to Lavonte David. Being a position of need for OAK makes this a solid fit.

11
Team Prospect Pos School
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (via MIA) Derwin James S Florida State
Yet another defender. James is a sizeable athlete who will strengthen the Bucs run defense. They can finally move on from Chris Conte.

12
Team Prospect Pos School
Cincinnati Bengals Clelin Ferrell ED Clemson
This is a nice addition. They can upgrade Michael Johnson with a very young talent.

13
Team Prospect Pos School
Washington Redskins Da'Ron Payne DT Alabama
WAS could use more talent to go along with 2016 first rounder Jonathan Allen, so they grab his former teammate. The 2 can bookend a NT or Payne can fill-in at NT at times. This makes for a fierce 3-4 front

14
Team Prospect Pos School
Green Bay Packers Harold Landry ED Boston College
Landry struggled this year, and that may be due to nagging injuries, but he was very impressive in 2016. GB desperately needs to improve their D, especially when it comes to pass rushers. Matthews hasn't been relevant for the last 3 years and his contract likely forces him out of GB by 2019. If he can return to form, Landry is a solid pick up for them.

15
Team Prospect Pos School
Arizona Cardinals Mike McGlinchey OT Notre Dame
Jared Veldheer saw early success, but may have fallen out of favor now. As a unit, the OT position is weak for ARI. McGlinchey is the best tackle in the draft. He will immediately improve David Johnson's game and will also be a strong protector to whomever their new QB will be (I think this is Cousins' most likely landing spot).

16
Team Prospect Pos School
Baltimore Ravens Courtland Sutton WR SMU
Sutton is a big-bodied receiver who can challenge downfield. I comp him with Demaryius Thomas. Jeremy Maclin could be cut but otherwise looks only adequate for a #2 at this point. Breshad Perriman is likely a complete bust. The Ravens need a receiver about as badly as we do.

17
Team Prospect Pos School
Los Angeles Chargers Joshua Jackson CB Iowa
A really nice spot to get Jackson. LAC needs help on the backend and Jackson could join his former teammate King here. Playing across from a healthy Jason Verrett, they could be a strong trio.

18
Team Prospect Pos School
Seattle Seahawks Denzel Ward CB Ohio State
Sherman is undergoing serious rehabilitation for a big knee injury. Across from him was Byron Maxwell, who they had to add this year because they were so thin. Ward is a #1 corner and should transition nicely.

19
Team Prospect Pos School
Dallas Cowboys Christian Wilkins DT Clemson
Dallas' D-line needs more talent. Demarcus Lawrence can't do it all. Wilkins can improve both their run and pass defense.

20
Team Prospect Pos School
Detroit Lions Vita Vea DT Washington
Detroit values being stout up front. After they lost Suh, they replaced him with Ngata. With Ngata gone, they now have A'Shawn Robinson. Vea would make for a formidable pairing. Maybe DET still won't be able to run, but no one will be running over them either.

21
Team Prospect Pos School
Buffalo Bills Lamar Jackson QB Louisville
Some will argue Mayfield is the pick, and that may be the case. Jackson has that athletic ceiling and he out-dueled Watson in their collegiate meeting. Additionally, you're getting some similarities with what you got out of Tyrod Taylor previously. He should be tasked with competing with Peterman straight away.

22
Team Prospect Pos School
Buffalo Bills Dorance Armstrong ED Kansas
The Bills D-line is all together thin. Shaq Lawson has been shutdown by injuries. They need bodies here, let alone young talent.

23
Team Prospect Pos School
Los Angeles Rams Marcus Davenport ED UTSA
You can never have too many pass rushers. The Rams added Connor Barwin this year and he is ok. He will be 32 next season. Davenport is a small school prospect that could do with some grooming but he has terrific intangibles.

24
Team Prospect Pos School
Carolina Panthers Justin Reid S Stanford

Carolina's pass rushers are aging, but Reid will be a great piece for their young backend. Reid intercepted 5 balls this season and was all over the field. 36 year old Mike Adams can't play forever.
25
Team Prospect Pos School
Tennessee Titans Austin Bryant ED Clemson
Derrick Morgan and Brian Orakpo are both in their 30s. They are still good players, but spelling them with some youth could future-proof the defense.

26
Team Prospect Pos School
Jacksonville Jaguars Connor Williams OT Texas
Jax does not have the money to replace Bortles. They've already picked up his 5th year option. Cam Robinson has been good for them at LT. Williams could play the other side and Bortles could have every chance to succeed with that pairing, though Williams does have injury concerns.

27
Team Prospect Pos School
Atlanta Falcons Mark Andrews TE Oklahoma
Atlanta has gotten decent play out of Hooper but they are laden with talent at many positions. TE is a position that could be upgraded. They could employ both TEs but Andrews could be a weekly receiving threat.

28
Team Prospect Pos School
New Orleans Saints Carlton Davis CB Auburn
NO just added the mega-talented Marshon Lattimore to their CB core in 2017 and why not double dip on that category in Davis? A position of previous weakness would now be an incredible strength on a team that already has very few holes.

29
Team Prospect Pos School
New York Jets (via PIT) Maurice Hurst DT Michigan
Muhammad Wilkerson is definitely cut this offseason. This once vaunted D-line is now down to Leonard Williams. Hurst could go higher than this, so it would be a high commodity spot for a trade up. Besides, there is little PIT could take here as their positions of need should have plenty of solid names on day 2. NYJ has 2 2nd round picks to barter with.

30
Team Prospect Pos School
Philadelphia Eagles Orlando Brown OT Oklahoma
Jason Peters will be 36 and is coming off of an ACL tear. It's unclear if he comes back or if he'll be the same should he do so. Brown is a massive lumbering lineman. Whether it is this year or next, he would be the future franchise LT.

31
Team Prospect Pos School
New England Patriots Billy Price C Ohio State
The Pats have not drafted well in years, and yet they are still dominant. Price isn't a sexy pick, but he will be a terrific NFLer. The Pats' O-line has slowly eroded and might even lose Solder this offseason. They need a youth injection here.

32
Team Prospect Pos School
Minnesota Vikings Equanimeous St Brown WR Notre Dame
Thielen and Diggs have performed way beyond expectations in MIN, but Treadwell let them down. An option with length would really round out a formidable trio. St Brown suffered through awful QB play this year, but his talent was on display in 2016.

This Fanpost was written by a Windy City Gridiron member and does not necessarily reflect the ideas or opinions of its staff or community.