It’s the Final Mock Draft!

…..the final Mock Draft!

Yep, not kidding. This is it. I’m not going to do like four in a matter of six days or something ridiculous like that. I have a job and a life (sort of) outside of this blog. I also know things may change on the day of the draft (or more like opening day of the draft). Nothing I can do about that. Let the experts deal with it. Between ESPN and the NFL Network there has to be about 70 mock drafts ready to go in the half hour before the draft begins. So without further adieu, let’s get to l’ébauche finale:

First Round

1ChicagoCaleb Williams, QB (USC)
2WashingtonJayden Daniels, QB (LSU)
3New EnglandDrake Maye, QB (North Carolina)
4ArizonaMarvin Harrison Jr., WR (Ohio State)
5LA ChargersMalik Nabers, WR (LSU)
6NY GiantsDallas Turner, EDGE (Alabama)
7TennesseeTerrion Arnold, CB (Alabama)
8AtlantaJ.J. McCarthy, QB (Michigan)
9ChicagoLaiatu Latu, EDGE (UCLA)
10NY JetsJoe Alt, OT (Notre Dame)
11MinnesotaBo Nix, QB (Oregon)
12DenverBrock Bowers, TE (Georgia)
13Las VegasOlu Fashanu, OT (Penn State)
14New OrleansRome Odunze, WR (Washington)
15IndianapolisQuinyon Mitchell, CB (Toledo)
16SeattleTroy Fautanu, G (Washington)
17JacksonvilleTaliese Fuaga, OT (Oregon State)
18CincinnatiJ.C. Latham, OT (Alabama)
19LA RamsKool-Aid McKinstry, CB (Alabama)
20PittsburghByron Murphy II, DT (Texas)
21MiamiJer’Zhan Newton, DT (Illinois)
22PhiladelphiaJared Verse, DE (Florida State)
23MinnesotaChop Robinson, EDGE (Penn State)
24DallasAmarius Mims, OT (Georgia)
25Green BayCooper DeJean, S (Iowa)
26Tampa BayMichael Penix Jr., QB (Washington)
27ArizonaDarius Robinson, EDGE (Minnesota)
28BuffaloBrian Thomas Jr., WR (LSU)
29DetroitJackson Powers-Johnson, G (Oregon)
30BaltimoreGraham Barton, G (Duke)
31San FranciscoTyler Guyton, OT (Oklahoma)
32Kansas CityJordan Morgan, OT (Arizona)

Second Round

33CarolinaXavier Legette, WR (South Carolina)
34New EnglandKingsley Suamataia, OT (BYU)
35ArizonaNate Wiggins, CB (Clemson)
36WashingtonZach Frazier, C (West Virginia)
37LA ChargersT.J. Tampa, CB (Iowa State)
38TennesseePatrick Paul, OT (Houston)
39CarolinaEnnis Rakestraw Jr., CB (Missouri)
40WashingtonTroy Franklin, WR (Oregon)
41Green BayChris Braswell, EDGE (Alabama)
42HoustonRuke Orhorhoro, DT (Clemson)
43AtlantaLadd McConkey, WR (Georgia)
44Las VegasChristian Haynes, G (UConn)
45New OrleansMarshawn Kneeland, EDGE (Western Michigan)
46IndianapolisXavier Worthy, WR (Texas)
47NY GiantsCooper Beebe, G (Kansas State)
48JacksonvilleAdonai Mitchell, WR (Texas)
49CincinnatiT’Vondre Sweat, DT (Texas)
50PhiladelphiaKamari Lassiter, CB (Georgia)
51PittsburghEdgerrin Cooper, LB (Texas A&M)
52LA RamsKamren Kinchens, S (Miami)
53PhiladelphiaRicky Pearsall, WR (Florida)
54ClevelandMichael Hall Jr., DT (Ohio State)
55MiamiKeon Coleman, WR (Florida State)
56DallasTrey Benson, RB (Florida State)
57Tampa BayJa’Lynn Polk, WR (Washington)
58Green BaySedrick Van Pran, C (Georgia)
59HoustonCam Hart, CB (Notre Dame)
60BuffaloKris Jenkins, DT (Michigan)
61DetroitJavon Bullard, CB (Georgia)
62BaltimoreRoman Wilson, WR (Michigan)
63San FranciscoAustin Booker, DE (Kansas)
64Kansas CityBraden Fiske, DT (Florida State)

Third Round

65CarolinaCedric Gray, LB (North Carolina)
66ArizonaPayton Wilson, LB (NC State)
67WashingtonBralen Trice, EDGE (Washington)
68New EnglandJonathan Brooks, RB (Texas)
69LA ChargersJa’Tavion Sanders, TE (Texas)
70NY GiantsCaelan Carson, CB (Wake Forest)
71ArizonaLeonard Taylor III, DT (Miami)
72NY JetsTyler Nubin, S (Minnesota)
73DetroitAdisa Isaac, EDGE (Penn State)
74AtlantaBrandon Dorius, EDGE (Oregon)
75ChicagoChristian Mahogany, G (Boston College)
76DenverDeWayne Carter, DT (Duke)
77Las VegasMike Sainristil, CB (Michigan)
78WashingtonJunior Colson, LB (Michigan)
79AtlantaJustin Egoigbe, DT (Alabama)
80CincinnatiMax Melton, CB (Rutgers)
81SeattleTommy Eichenberg, LB (Ohio State)
82IndianapolisCalen Bullock, S (USC)
83LA RamsSpencer Rattler, QB (South Carolina)
84PittsburghRoger Rosengarten, OT (Washington)
85ClevelandKiran Amedagije, OT (Yale)
86HoustonMalachi Corley, WR (WKU)
87DallasJermaine Burton, WR (Alabama)
88Green BayBlake Fisher, OT (Notre Dame)
89Tampa BayCole Bishop, S (Utah)
90ArizonaZak Zinter, G (Michigan)
91Green BayNehemiah Pritchett, CB (Auburn)
92Tampa BayJavion Cohen, G (Miami)
93BaltimoreJaylen Wright, RB (Tennessee)
94Kansas CityBlake Corum, RB (Michigan)
95San FranciscoElijah Jones, CB (Boston College)
96JacksonvilleKris Abrams-Draine, CB (Missouri)
97CincinnatiJohnny Wilson, WR (Florida State)
98PittsburghJonah Ellliss, LB (Utah)
99LA RamsJalyx Hunt, EDGE (Houston Christian)
100WashingtonJalen McMillan, WR (Washington)

There are some strong opinions out there about this draft (like every draft) so let’s go through a few of them:

  • The Vikings are going to trade up. This is a likely option but I don’t put trades in my mock drafts because I think dreaming up the trade packages would be insane. Saying that, I wouldn’t be surprised if they traded up to #4 or #5 to get J.J. McCarthy.
  • The Cardinals are fielding a lot of trade offers. The top three picks are mostly set even though Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels seem to flip-flop in the second and third spots. The Cards are probably fielding a few offers but not as many as some might think. It will take a lot for them to trade down as they know they would get, arguably, the best overall player of the draft at a position they need.
  • The Giants might be the toughest to figure out in the Top 10. Absolutely. They have all sorts of needs so there are probably 10-12 players on their board that they could conceivably take. I still like Dallas Turner at that spot but Terrion Arnold, Laiatu Latu, Brock Bowers, Quinyon Marshall and, hell, even Bo Nix could be picked at #6 by the Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-Men (done in extreme Chris Berman voice).
  • If Brock Bowers isn’t picked Top 10 he will fall…FAR. I don’t think so. The Broncos, Colts, Bengals and Dolphins might all take a gander at the big man if he is still sitting in the back room after the tenth pick (which I think he will be).

Other than that there are questions that mostly don’t have answers at this point. Like will the Bills make a surprising leap up the draft now that Stefon Diggs has been dealt? Is Michael Penix Jr. poised to have the biggest leap up the draft boards in the past couple months? Will there be actual players involved in any of the trades over the next few days? It’s a crapshoot and not my expertise so I will steer clear of most of those questions (possibly, possibly and probably are my answers).

Reminder that the draft starts tonight at 8:00 and is emanating from Detroit. Moving the draft around has been fun so let’s see what it’s like in the Motor City. As per usual, ESPN and NFL Network will be doing the entire draft…all seven rounds. I have the ESPN draft pick is in ringtone on my phone but I am still debating which network to watch, at least for night one. I have leaned NFL Network in the past but I have done both over the past decade. It’s a game-time decision.

Finally, on the Twitter Machine (fuck you, Elon) I will be live-tweeting at least the first round and am hoping to do ALL SEVEN this year. Can I do it? Who the fuck knows. Around halfway through round five is where things usually go off the rails and I might struggle to keep going at that point. I mean I will but who knows if I will be posting tweets at that point or semi-conscious, staring at the bag of pretzels on my desk and wondering about important questions in life like “Would Nathan Peterman be successful in the CFL?”

Anyway, enjoy the draft, however much you watch of it.