The NFL Scouting Combine is now in the rearview mirror. We're a week removed from Indianapolis, so it's time for my latest Mock Draft. You guys know the drill. I will predict the first 24 selections and let you guys at home vote for the Eagles' selection at No. 25!
1. Arizona Cardinals – QB Kyler Murray, Oklahoma
Previous selection – EDGE Nick Bosa, Ohio State
Our friend Tony Pauline has been at the forefront of this pick since the Combine, reporting that Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury has been telling people that it's a "done deal." Tough to argue with that. I'm penciling in the dynamic quarterback with the Cardinals as they figure out what to do with last year's first-round pick, quarterback Josh Rosen.
2. San Francisco 49ers – EDGE Nick Bosa, Ohio State
Previous selection – EDGE Josh Allen, Kentucky
The 49ers have invested heavily in the defensive line in recent years, but they're still looking for some teeth for their pass rush off the edge. Bosa joins this group in what could be the best young defensive line in the league in a couple of years. Pauline believes the 49ers could be looking to trade down from this spot if they have suitors.
3. New York Jets – DL Quinnen Williams, Alabama
Previous selection – Same
Ah, another team that will likely be looking to move down if given the opportunity. That's obviously off the table in this scenario. One thing to note, however. Under general manager Mike Maccagnan, the Jets have drafted four times. All four times, their first-round pick has been just 21 years old (which doesn't include the potential franchise quarterback they took in the second round in 2016, who also was a 21-year-old rookie). The Jets need more juice on their defensive line, and Williams brings a youthful energy to that group.
4. Oakland Raiders – WR D.K. Metcalf, Mississippi
Previous selection – EDGE Rashan Gary, Michigan
Yes, I know the Raiders are set to acquire Antonio Brown from the Steelers on Wednesday. But listening to our former colleague Mike Mayock's press conference in Indianapolis, a couple of things stood out.
First, he said that they definitely want to get faster and more athletic at their X-receiver position ahead of second-year wideout Marcell Ateman. Second, he said that they ultimately want big, fast guys who can run and love the game of football. Now, we don't know for sure on the outside about the last part of that equation, but we know that Metcalf is big and can run, and he comes at a position they feel is a need. Metcalf will be the X-receiver. Brown will play the Z spot. The Raiders need help in the trenches, but that will wait until later.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – LB Devin White, LSU
Previous selection – T Jawaan Taylor, Florida
The Bucs are in an interesting spot because I'm not sure that Josh Allen is quite the fit for them here. Could they take a stud tackle here to compete with Demar Dotson as a rookie? Could they take a corner like Greedy Williams and offer some competition in the secondary for Todd Bowles? Potentially, but I like Devin White's fit here. Kwon Alexander is a free agent, and Todd Bowles, the new defensive coordinator in Tampa, took a tempo-setter from LSU a couple of years ago in Jamal Adams, so he petitions to go back to the well here for White, who steps right in as one of the captains of a young defense undergoing a transformation.
6. New York Giants – QB Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State
Previous selection – Same
Pat Shurmur needs a new young quarterback, and it just so happens that one of the top options in this class was coached by a former quarterbacks coach from when Shurmur was in Philadelphia. Ryan Day coached quarterbacks while Shurmur was the offensive coordinator under Chip Kelly. Daniel Jones may seem like a "safe" choice, but no one in the quarterback market will have a better source into Haskins than Shurmur, which could work for or against the Buckeyes' one-year starter.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars – T Jawaan Taylor, Florida
Previous selection – QB Daniel Jones, Duke
The Jaguars need a quarterback, but they'll likely address that before the draft. As this team looks to make another run, I would like them to beef up the offensive line. Reports say that they released starting right tackle Jermey Parnell, and Jawaan Taylor can step right in and start. He fits their brand of power football as a people mover in the trenches as a devastating run blocker. This makes a lot of sense.
8. Detroit Lions – EDGE Josh Allen, Kentucky
Previous selection – LB Devin White, LSU
Ziggy Ansah is a free agent, and this team needs more bite up front in getting after the quarterback. Allen comes from a 3-4 scheme, was asked to wear a lot of hats for the Kentucky defense as a pass rusher, coverage player, and run defender. He'll be asked to do all of those same things under Matt Patricia. Versatility is key in that scheme, and Allen has that for sure.
9. Buffalo Bills – OL Jonah Williams, Alabama
Previous selection – Same
Buffalo needs to continue bulking up that offensive line, and while he's not perfect, Jonah Williams is a rock-solid prospect. He's got great character, which is important to general manager Brandon Beane. Williams can play either tackle spot or project to guard, and has experience with Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who coached the Tide offense in 2017, when Williams was viewed as a top-five selection by most in the business. I like the fit here on both sides.
10. Denver Broncos – QB Drew Lock, Missouri
Previous selection – Same
Pauline has reported numerous times since the East-West Shrine Game that John Elway has his eyes set on Drew Lock, and the match makes sense. Not only does he have the skil set that Elway likes, but he's also a great fit for new offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello, who comes from the Kyle Shanahan tree. In that system, things well-defined for the quarterback, but the scheme also attacks vertically and gets the quarterback on the move off play-action. Lock would work in that scheme nicely.
11. Cincinnati Bengals – EDGE Montez Sweat, Mississippi State
Previous selection – G Cody Ford, Oklahoma
Sweat greatly helped himself at the Combine, testing like a freak show with his frame. Plus, he will be a good fit in the new scheme being instituted by defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. The Bengals may lose pass rusher Michael Johnson in free agency, and Sweat has a similar kind of body to Johnson. The Bengals have long favored players from the SEC as well, and while Marvin Lewis is gone, director of player personnel Duke Tobin is still in the building.
12. Green Bay Packers – EDGE Rashan Gary, Michigan
Previous selection – EDGE Brian Burns, Florida State
The Packers play a 3-4 scheme, and Gary can be a bit of a question mark about how he'd fit in a base 3-4, but Green Bay was primarily a subpackage team last year by a heavy, heavy margin. They need more athleticism up front, and Gary offers that. He may be too good of a physical marvel for Mike Pettine to pass up on defense, and physical tools are important to Brian Gutekunst and that staff. Gary has no shortage of those.
13. Miami Dolphins – EDGE Clelin Ferrell, Clemson
Previous selection – CB Greedy Williams, LSU
The Dolphins need help off the edge, and head coach Brian Flores as well as defensive coordinator Patrick Graham have both gone on the record saying that they want tough, well-rounded, versatile players who can use their length and technique to stop the run while also being able to get after the quarterback. That describes Ferrell pretty much to a T by my estimation. I like the fit here.
14. Atlanta Falcons – DT Ed Oliver, Houston
Previous selection – Same
Atlanta loves disruptors with high motors, and Oliver certainly presents Dan Quinn with both. Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett was given the franchise tag, but next to him the Falcons could really use more juice getting after the quarterback, and Oliver presents them with a dynamic option inside. Six months ago this would be viewed as a giant steal.
15. Washington Redskins – CB Greedy Williams, LSU
Previous selection – EDGE Montez Sweat, Mississippi State
Josh Norman is on one side, and they feel pretty good about what he's still bringing to the table. But Washington has continued to shuffle players in and out of the lineup opposite him. Williams is an athletic cover corner who, in a lot of ways, complements Norman's skill set with the tools he has in his back pocket. Williams is a high-upside cover corner for a team that is looking to continue finding ways to stop the pass.
16. Carolina Panthers – EDGE Brian Burns, Florida State
Previous selection – EDGE Clelin Ferrell, Clemson
Burns' talent would dictate that he go higher than this, but he slides a bit in this mock draft. An athletic pass rusher with impressive physical tools and a well-established pass rush plan, Burns gives the Panthers a shot in the arm off the edge as they look to replace the now-retired Julius Peppers.
17. Cleveland Browns – T Andre Dillard, Washington State
Previous selection – DT Jeffrey Simmons, Mississippi State
Dillard had a strong week of practice in Mobile at the Senior Bowl and is undoubtedly one of the top tackles in this class. The Browns lost Joe Thomas just about a year ago at this time, and while they have some young players in the pipeline none have the ability of Dillard to line up and play right now. John Dorsey gives Baker Mayfield a blindside protector for the rest of his career in Cleveland.
18. Minnesota Vikings – OL Garrett Bradbury, N.C. State
Previous selection – T Andre Dillard, Washington State
The Vikings still need help on the offensive line, and while linebacker was an option, as was the tight end position, they decide to go with the best lineman still on the board in this spot, and that's Bradbury. Whether he slides in at center or guard, he should be a Day 1 starter and help both the run and pass game for the team in purple.
19. Tennessee Titans – DT Christian Wilkins, Clemson
Previous selection – EDGE Jaylon Ferguson, Louisiana Tech
The Titans have made it a regular habit to take players who I love throughout the draft process, and that trend continues this year with Wilkins, who reminds me of current Titan Jurrell Casey. Wilkins can slide in opposite Casey in their base 3-4 and line up next to him in their subpackage fronts and continue to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers – LB Devin Bush, Michigan
Previous selection – CB Byron Murphy, Washington
The Steelers have placed more importance on athleticism in recent years, and they've already said that they didn't do enough last offseason to replace the impact they lost in star linebacker Ryan Shazier. Bush can help soften that with his ability to play sideline to sideline and downhill as a thumper in the run game. He's a Pittsburgh kind of player on the field.
21. Seattle Seahawks – CB Joejuan Williams, Vanderbilt
Previous selection – WR D.K. Metcalf, Mississippi
After his Combine performance, this would be viewed as a reach by some, but this team isn't afraid to go off the board a little bit for players if they buy all the way in on them as players. Williams is a phenomenal kid, is a smart player, and is the prototype for what they look for at corner. He fits this team and this scheme very well.
22. Baltimore Ravens – WR Marquise Brown, Oklahoma
Previous selection – RB Josh Jacobs, Alabama
Baltimore wants to continue building around Lamar Jackson, and general Manager Eric DeCosta said at the Combine that they want guys who can work with him and make plays in critical situations. New offensive coordinator Greg Roman is a creative run schemer, and he will do all kinds of things with Jackson much like he did with Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco. A player who can (A) offer more to those creative looks off bubble screens and jet sweeps and other gadget plays while also (B) offering a deep threat for when teams want to load the box to stop the run will fit perfectly here, and that's why Marquise Brown is the pick.
23. Houston Texans – OL Cody Ford, Oklahoma
Previous selection – T Greg Little, Mississippi
Houston is desperate for more help on the offensive line, and the good thing about Ford is that he can offer help at either tackle or guard, depending on how the Texans see fit. Wherever he lands, Ford is an upgrade over what they currently have.
24. Oakland Raiders – TE T.J. Hockenson, Iowa
Previous selection – Same
Hockenson is the best in a loaded tight end group, and the Raiders need to continue adding pass catchers around Derek Carr. They got Metcalf earlier in the round and continue giving Jon Gruden some weaponry with Hockenson, who should step right in and start from Day 1 if Jared Cook leaves in free agency.
25. Philadelphia Eagles –
Previous selection – DT Christian Wilkins, Clemson
