The draft is less than 12 hours away and while mock drafts are never very accurate, they are still ridiculously fun to read and create. What makes them even more challenging is when you are not making all of the picks. Here, I asked three friends to alternate picks (Me, Ants, Austin, Tom repeating) until the entire first round was complete. Here is the final result with each "General Manager's" reasoning. If you have any gripes with any of the picks, you now know the order and can take it up with whoever represented that general manager. JADAVEON CLOWNEY, DE, SOUTH CAROLINA "Even though they traded Matt Schuab, the Texans will not use their first pick on a quarterback. While the Texans are in need of one, there is no certainty at the position in this draft class. I expect them to try to find the Russell Wilson or Colin Kaepernick in this draft. By that I simply mean they will draft a quarterback in a later round and hope for the best. There is no consensus best quarterback and the best available changes every other day. I am not convinced that any of these quarterbacks are franchise quarterbacks. Clowney, on the other hand, is a once in a generation type of player. While there are questions about his motor and work ethic, the Texans cannot pass on a freak athlete like Clowney to pair with JJ Watt on what will become the most feared defensive line in the NFL." Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn "Not a sexy pick by any means, and not a bold prediction on my part either. Robinson is the top rated draft eligible Offensive Lineman by most experts, so might as well listen to the people smarter than me. They could trade down or maybe go with Mack on the other side of the ball, but football's won in the trenches, and might as well grab a safe, stud up front. Playing it safe in the draft sometimes has a negative connotation, but I'd argue the opposite. Picking a lineman early has proven to be successful in the last few years: Trent Williams -- 4th (2010), Russell Okung -- 6th (2010), Tyron Smith -- 9th (2011), Matt Kalil 4th (2012). All those guys have made a Pro Bowl. Success talks. Rams, go with Robinson." Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M "The Jaguars take Manziel. The first two GMs criminally overthought matters. Johnny is the best player in the draft. Sometimes it's as simple as that." Cleveland Browns - Blake Bortles, QB, Central Florida "After releasing both Jason Campbell and Brandon Weeden this off season, the Browns desperately need a quarterback. Cleveland has some decent talent on the offensive side of the football with Josh Gordon, Jordan Cameron, and recently acquired Ben Tate, but those weapons could be much more effective with a quarterback that can actually lead a team. Bortles has shown that he can be that team leader, especially after bringing Central Florida to their first BCS bowl game victory with an upset win over Baylor." Oakland Raiders - Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson "The Raiders will pass on the best player available, Khalil Mack, and draft the best player on the other side of the ball: Sammy Watkins. While passing on Mack all but guarantees that Mack will be a stud somewhere else, they should at least hit on this pick. Watkins is being hailed as the best wide receiver prospect since AJ Green and Julio Jones. Yes, that was only three years ago, but they are superstars, nonetheless. After obtaining quarterback Matt Schuab from the Houston Texans for...well basically nothing, the Raiders will need to give him a weapon; Denarius Moore and Rod Streater are far from the Andre Johnson type receiver that Schuab is used to targeting (and missing)." Khalil Mack, OLB, Buffalo "Falcons had a bad season, no doubt, but their offense can still ball. They're gonna be fine on that side. Time to start building themselves up on the other side, and a dominating linebacker is a good way to start." Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M "Alright, so I guess we're building around Josh McCown, huh? Might as well go all-in. Obviously, the Bucs will only consider Texas A&M players, and although Mike Evans has the potential for a solid career as a #2 wideout, protecting their new (franchise?) QB ranks higher in priority. Matthews is super solid and he's flexible if they need to move him around on the line. Johnny Football didn't become a college legend without help..." Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville "Outside of Adrian Peterson, the Vikings have a lot of work ahead of them, and where better to start than at quarterback? It may be time to put the Ponder/Cassel/Freeman competition for QB to rest now. To compete in the NFC North, the Vikings would need a strong player to build around. Bridgewater is arguably the best QB in the draft, and if he sticks around long enough, it would be pretty tough for the Vikings to pass up on him." Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan "While Mike Evans out of A&M is an interesting option as a big target for EJ Manuel, the Bills must focus on keeping Manuel upright before they focus on who he is throwing to. Plus, this is a very deep wide receiver class, so the Bills could address this need in the second round. The Bills surrendered 48 sacks in 2013, fifth most in the NFL. They also saw injuries to all three players lined up in the backfield: Manuel, CJ Spiller, and Fred Jackson. Lewan would provide an immediate upgrade on the offensive line as an exceptional run blocker and a very good pass blocker." Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M "Lions love them some receivers, and the tradition continues. They lost Nate Burleson to free agency, and will be filling that void with a rookie. Evans is a nice player, should be a good compliment to Calvin Johnson." Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State "Remember that thing about just simply taking the best talent available? Gilbert is the class of the 2014 draft in terms of athleticism and agility. The Titans no longer have Alterraun Verner. Gilbert might be just as good." Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh "Back when the Giants made their two Super Bowl victory runs, they had a defensive line that not even Tom Brady could overcome. After the loss of Justin Tuck, the Giants could use some more talent in this area. Donald finished off a strong senior year with a total of 11 sacks. The pressure he brings could help the Giants achieve the dynamic pass rush that once won them two Super Bowls." HaHa Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama "The Rams filled possibly their biggest need when they took Greg Robinson with the second pick. However, safety is another huge need for the Rams. Lol is the best safety in the draft and is coming from one of the more pro-ready college systems. He has great range and should be patrolling centerfield starting week one." Timmy Jernigan, DT, Florida State "Bears lost Julius Peppers and filled hat role with veteran Jared Allen, which is a solid replacement -- for now. Allen, like Peppers, is on the wrong side of 30, and gaurenteed longevity isn't so certain. In comes Timmy Jernigan, a national champ who can add depth and security to that defensive line. Bears get a little younger on D, and look to get back to their defensive dominance of a few years ago." Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan St "The days of boasting a terrifying defense in Pittsburgh are over. And Dennard isn't going to bring them back. The Steelers need more than just secondary help, but the Michigan State corner is a good start. He fits the system. He's aggressive. He's physical. He's polished. He's just a solid CB who won't take a while to become a difference maker." Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA "The Cowboys had a historically horrific defense this past year, and to top it off, they lost one of their top defensive player when Demarcus Ware signed with the Broncos. Anthony Barr out of UCLA has a similar skill set to that of Ware's and could fill this void and help Dallas to rebuild their defense." CJ Mosley, ILB, Alabama "The Ravens do not have a huge need at linebacker. However, they are not exactly strong on the inside. Mosley is the best inside linebacker in the draft and, hopefully for the Ravens, can become the centerpiece of the defense and defensive leader that the Ravens lost when Ray Lewis retired." Odell Beckham Jr., WR, LSU "J-E-T-S JETS! JETS! JETS!" "You got your Vick, you got your Decker, you got Powell, you even got your Zach Sudfield! What you need? Another guy to step up and challenge Jeremy Kerley for that number two spot. They're apparently trying to put together their offense, something that hasn't been attempted in years. Santonio Holmes is gone, they'll bolster up that wide receiver spot for sure." Zack Martin, OT, Notre Dame "Some GMs wouldn't want to roll the dice with another offensive lineman named Martin, but Miami can't be afraid of risks if they're trying to supplant the Pats in the East. Zack Martin, who is not related to Jonathan, fills Miami's gaping hole on the inside by being both NFL-ready and, you know, 300+ pounds. It's a plus that Martin is versatile enough to play anywhere on the line." Calvin Pryor, FS, Louisville "If the Cardinals had been in any other division in the NFL, they probably would have made the playoffs. Having said that, they're still in a division where they need to face the Seahawks and 49ers twice a year each. Arizona has a fairly strong defense but need some more help at safety. After the addition of Cromartie at CB opposite Peterson, Pryor could be the final piece to solidify the Arizona secondary." Eric Ebron, TE, UNC "The Packers have a serious need at tight end. Jermichael Finley has not signed with anybody yet, but will be lucky to play football again after that horrific injury last year. Andrew Quarless currently sits atop the TE spot on the depth chart and that cannot be the case come training camp. Ebron is the best tight end in a deep tight end class and would be a great addition to an already dynamic offense." Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon State "Little bit of Beaver State envy as Chip Kelly et al uses their pick to grab former Oregon State wide out Brandin Cooks. Fits the mold pretty well for Kelly offense: versatile, speedy guy who will likely be a career slot guy, but a real good slot guy. Not the downfield guy like DeSean Jackson was for the birds, but Cooks can make some plays. 4.33 seconds in the 40, quick moves, and good hands inside the numbers. Not regarded as highly as guys like Watkins or Beckham, but often times the less acclaimed guys fall to a better team and really make a splash thanks to the talent around them. Look for Cooks to be that guy." Louis Nix, DT, Notre Dame "Here's the quandary: KC's only glaring need is at wideout, but to grab Marqise Lee here would be a reach. Stick to fundamentals. Draft best available. That's Louis Nix III. And it's not like the Chiefs couldn't use another freakishly massive behemoth to bolster their line. He's obviously monstrous, but it's his quickness that could pave the way for a nice little NFL career." Kony Ealy, DE, Missouri "The Bengals had a pretty good defense and pass rush in 2013, but with the Geno Atkin's ACL injury and Michael Johnson signing with the Bucs, they need some more help at defensive end. If Ealy sticks around late enough in the draft, it would be difficult for the Bengals to pass up on him especially because when Atkins returns from his injury, these two would make quite a strong rush on opposite ends on the Bengals defensive line." Jason Verrett, CB, TCU "The Chargers had the fourth worst pass defense in the NFL in 2013, allowing just under 260 passing yards per game. Richard Marshall is currently their top cornerback. That's unacceptable. Verrett is an exceptional athlete who's playmaking ability can help the Chargers start to rebuild their secondary." Kyle Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech "Cleveland has this pick form the Colts/Trent Richardson trade so obviously they take another first round running back to make up for it. Just kidding, they probably add depth to a defense anchored by Joe Haden. Fuller's a talented guy, and in the late first round you take talent and hope it pays off. Cleveland's defense was actually pretty legit for a while last year, and I think they're moving in the right direction on that side of the ball." Cyrus Kouandjio, OT, Alabama "The Saints are in good shape. They have very few holes and no glaring ones. As it stands, they'll go as far as Drew Brees can take them. It's important, then, to ensure ultimate protection around him. Kouandijo isn't the best offensive lineman in the draft, but he'll be a solid pro and he fits Sean Peyton's system. This is a safe pick, but that's all the Saints need." Marqise Lee, WR, USC "The Panther's lost their top two wide receivers to the Patriots and Ravens in free agency this offseason and have some work ahead of them, especially to replace the veteran presence that Steve Smith brought. Marqise Lee out of USC should help to rebuild the passing offense and be a good enough threat on the outside to take some pressure off of Greg Olsen up the middle of the field." Ryan Shazier, OLB, Ohio State "If Shazier drops to the 29, the Patriots should run to the podium. This is such a deep draft that trading down is not only likely, but probable. However, you will not find a prospect like Shazier if they trade down. The Ohio State linebacker can get after the passer as well as drop back into coverage. He led the conference with 143 tackles in 2013. He is the rare type of player that I could see that Patriots trading up for, as it is unlikely that he drops this far in the first round." Jace Amaro, TE, Texas Tech "End of the first round talent is like second and third round talent: you're not getting the cream of the crop, but you're still getting some good talent. With that being said, the 49ers will take a talented TE out of Texas Tech (shout out to Mr. G) who like to catch the ball. Slightly different player than Vernon Davis, but could be a good tight end compliment someday. San Francisco still needs a little depth defensively, as their a bit weaker than years past, but I just don't see them going down that road late in the first round. They take the tight end, fans boo or cheer." Kyle Van Noy, OLB, Brigham Young "The Broncos could use an outside linebacker and Van Noy is the best available. Sometimes it's that simple. Again, not overthinking it is the theme of the first round. Van Noy isn't super athletic, but he has great instincts. He's a low-risk option who impressed at the Senior Bowl. He can help Denver right away." Allen Robinson, WR, Penn State "The Seahawks proved in the Super Bowl that they had the league's best defenses with possibly the greatest defensive Super Bowl performance ever. To go along with this defense, they had a pretty solid offense as well, but lost their top WR to free agency. The Seahawks should be looking for a big down-the-field threat to take some pressure off of Percy Harvin this year (if he stays healthy)... Although he doesn't have the best speed, at 6'3" Robinson is a big body that can go up and steal the ball away from defenders."
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SAMUEL PERICOLOSam is a graduate of Assumption College where he studied History, Marketing, and Political Science and was a Co-Producer on a weekly sports talk television show. Archives
March 2018
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