This is the second Mock Draft that we’ve featured here on BSO as we inch closer to the draft in April. Check out who we have your favorite team selecting in April’s draft.
Round 1
1 – KC: Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M – The Chiefs have the hardest choice to make at #1 in the past decade. There’s no can’t miss player at the top of this draft and there’s no franchise changing QB either. The Chiefs have franchise tagged Brandon Albert and signed Dwayne Bowe long term deal. Still they select Joeckel as the anchor of their line at left tackle and try to convince Albert to move to guard this season. The addition of Alex Smith also allows them to select a QB later in the draft and “Kaepernick” Smith two years from now.
2 – JAX: Barkevious Mingo, DE/OLB, LSU – Jacksonville has been searching for a dominant pass rusher in the draft for at least the past 5 drafts. Mingo is the dynamic player that this defense needs, whether he is playing opposite of Jason Babin with his hand down in nickel situations or standing up as a Sam backer in the 4-3 Over on early downs. His flexibility will allow the Jags to present multiple looks to an offense and cause confusion.
3 – OAK: Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan – The Raiders are in complete rebuild mode and there have been rumors of them seriously courting QB Gino Smith, but skill position players are worthless if the line in front of them isn’t solid. Palmer is being paid lie a top 5 QB and Terrell Pryor is as talented as any of the Young QBs in the league right now. As a matter of fact, if Pryor was in this draft he’d be the run away #1 overall pick. The Raiders must protect their QB and open lanes for oft-injured HB Darren McFadden. Fisher 1A-1B with Joeckel and can be a mainstay on the left side of their line for the next decade.
4 – PHI: Dion Jordan, DE, Oregon – Chip Kelly entered Philadelphia with all of the talk being about his offense transitioning to the Pro level, but the Eagles will need to stop teams if they hope to capture an NFC East title and make the playoffs. Chip recruited and coached Jordan at Oregon and is very familiar with his skill set. Jordan fits the Eagles 4-3 under scheme and when paired on the same side as Trent Cole, opposite of Brandon Graham, the Eagles will have 3 dynamic pass rushers on the field at all times. Jordan also opens up a huge zone blitz package on 3rd downs because of his abilities to cover receivers and tight ends.
5 – DET: Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State – Detroit has bolstered the interior of their defensive line but hasn’t seen the desired production from that unit because of their lack of outside pressure. Kyle Vanden Bosch held down the outside for a few years but now it’s time to add some youth to replace him. Werner’s motor is nonstop and he will thrive because of the single match-ups he will receive game in and game out. His maturity is also much needed on this Lions squad; head coach Jim Schwartz couldn’t diagram a better player for his system.
6 – CLE: Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama – Cleveland has a number one corner in Joe Haden already but in this pass happy NFL league two shut down corners is a necessity not a luxury. Millner is perfect to play the boundary corner spot with his back to the sideline. His height, speed, and ball skills will remind many of Antonio Cromartie during his rookie season.
7 – ARI: Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia – Arizona can’t waste the prime of Larry Fitzgerald’s playing career by having John Skelton under center. Head Coach Bruce Arians has shown the ability to do well early with young QBs and Geno Smith has the skill set to well within his offense.
8 – BUF: Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida – Buffalo went out last off season and pumped millions of dollars into their defensive line. They didn’t do that to have them play above average, they need them to be dominant. Floyd would be the last piece in the puzzle towards dominance. Former first round pick Marcell Dareus would fit well next to Floyd and the tandem could grow together over the next few seasons. The Williams tandem for the Vikings in 2005 comes to mind when you think of having these two in the middle of a defense.
9 – NYJ: Ezekiel Ansah, OLB/DE, BYU – The Jets don’t do anything without some controversy. What’s more controversial than taking a player with only 3 years of football experience in the top 10? Ansah is pulling a lot of JPP comparisons and the Jets are in desperate need of an outside pass rusher.
10 – TEN: Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama – Tennessee saw Chris Johnson struggle early last season, but finish with 1,200 yards rushing. This year they’ll focus on rebuilding a run blocking line in front of him to capitalize his talent and return him to CJ2k.
11 – SD: Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma – Johnson has shot up draft boards since the Senior Bowl and the Chargers are desperate for help on the left side. Rivers has digressed over the past 3 seasons and his other two QB draft mates have won Super Bowls in that time. The Chargers need to protect Phillip if they hope to challenge Peyton and the Broncos.
12 – MIA: Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee – Patterson can do it all on the football field and Miami has nothing at the wide out position. This is practically a no brainer if Patterson is there. The only negative on Patterson is his lack of pro-style offenses. He only played 1 year of D-1 CFB and prior to that played in a wide open system on the JUCO level. His progression in the league may take longer because his learning curve is higher than others.
13 – TB: Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State – Tampa traded away Aqib Talib last season and their record showed how valuable he was to their defense. After starting off relatively hot they fell of the map because they couldn’t stop anyone through the air. Rhodes can come in and be a great zone defender from day one. Mark Barron offers him protection over the top to gamble and make plays. Also the veteran Ronde Barber will teach him a lot this season, which important to a young DB’s development.
14 – CAR: Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah – Star drops this far because of health concerns, but the Panthers have had their eyes on him throughout this draft process. I’m convinced that they would’ve traded up for him regardless but now they have the luxury of him falling into their lap. Star will shoot gas and paired with tackling machine Luke Kuechly sure up this porous run defense.
15 – NO: Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia – New Orleans will be transitioning to Rob Ryan’s 3-4 defense and one things that he absolutely needs is an edge pass rusher. Jones is the best pass rusher in this draft and only falls because of concerns about his spine. Jones has played with his condition since high school and hasn’t shown any ill effects, so I’m sure Coach Payton will have no problem getting the most out of him.
16 – STL: Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame – St. Louis has many holes on offense but if Sam Bradford is to show his true potential then he needs an easy and reliable target. Eifert is a tight end with wide receiver skills and the blocking ability to be on the field on every down.
17 – PIT: Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington – Pittsburgh’s biggest enemy is health, but an aging defense is a close second. They gave up over 300 yards passing to Tim Tebow in the playoffs 2 seasons ago, so that should tell you all that you need to know about their secondary. Trufant showcased his speed at the combine and his ball skills were always on display at U-Dub.
18 – DAL: Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri – Dallas’ interior defense looked horrible down the stretch last season. Sure losing three starting linebackers attributed to that but the aging defensive line also doesn’t help. Richardson is a player that never stops on a play and can defend both the run and pass equally well. He had 14 tackles and a sack in Mizzou’s game against Bama last season…That should be all that you need to know.
19 – NYG: D.J. Fluker, OT, Alabama – This is high for Fluker but the Giants are in desperate need of a right tackle and with Eifert gone at tight end he is their best option. Fluker would make up for his inconsistency as a pass blocker by adding a much needed edge to the Giants rushing attack. The Giants usually don’t throw rookies into the fire but having him push and compete with Diehl is something that I can see happening. If Fluker were to beat him out the Giants could cut roughly 5 mil in cap space before the beginning of the season, which could be used to finish negotiations with Victor Cruz.
20 – CHI: Kenny Vaccaro, SS, Texas – Chicago needs to start patching up their “Grandpa” defense. Linebacker is a year away from becoming a necessity, so they should bolster the strength of their defense. The secondary caused a ton of takeaways lat year but also allowed a lot of yards over the top. Vaccaro would be a good fit in their defense and could help protect against the deep pass.
21 – CIN: Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M – Cincy gets a player at 21 that went at number 3 in my last mock draft. Moore didn’t wow anyone at the combine and his troubles against the run has caused him to slide. Cincy will gladly add his pass rushing skills to their defensive line rotation.
22 – STL: Keenan Allen, WR, California – St. Louis continues to add weapons for Sam Bradford and this time it’s in a true number one receiver, Keenan Allen. Allen has the hands, route running ability, and size to be a top flight receiver in this league. He also gives Bradford a legit target in the red zone, which he hasn’t had since his days in Oklahoma.
23 – MIN: Kawann Short, DT, Purdue – Minnesota needs someone to pair with Kevin Williams on the inside of their defensive line. Short provides a multidimensional defensive player that can play all interior techniques and on the edge in a 3 line concept. Short would open up rushing lanes for their blitzing linebackers and take some heat off of Jared Allen.
24 – IND: Datone Jones, DE, UCLA – Indy needs to find a fit for their 3-4 defense. Dwight Freeney wasn’t productive at all as an outside linebacker and Mathis may be a cap casualty after next season. Jones has the ability to slide in as a part-time pass rusher this season and take over the starting spot next year.
25 – SEA: Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State – Seattle has a great pass rush and dominant secondary, btu they need to become sturdier against the run. Hankins is a huge man in the middle and his ability to stop the run was the key to Ohio States undefeated season. At times he took on triple teams without getting moved off of the point of attack.
26 – GB: Alex Okafor, DE, Texas – Green Bay can move Clay Matthews around as much as they want but it doesn’t help create more of a pass rush. They need an athletic option opposite of Matthews and Okafor can give them a legit 2nd option.
27 – HOU: Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia – I mocked Austin here in my first draft and people looked at me with crazy eyes because of that. Now we are post-combine and this is considered late for Austin. His ability to play both inside and out makes him the most versatile receiver in this draft. His speed will open up a lot for Andre Johnson and give Schaub another target on play action passes.
28 – DEN: Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State – Champ Bailey is 102 years old… I’m joking but he is in the twilight of his career and the Broncos secondary cost them a Super Bowl in my opinion.
29 – NE: Matt Elam, SS, Florida – New England will definitely sign Talib when the time comes but their dreams of luring Ed Reed from Baltimore are far-fetched. They need a safety that can cover space and make plays on the ball, Elam excels at both.
30 – ATL: Jonathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina – Atlanta is a pass first offense now but I’m sure they’d love to get back to balanced. Jonathan Cooper will open up holes for whatever running back they bring in to replace Michael Turner. He is surprisingly athletic for his size and he’s far from reaching his ceiling as a player.
31 – SF: Jesse Williams, DT, Alabama – San Fransisco has 15 picks and hardly any holes on their squad. I expect them to trade far up in this draft or to trade this pick for a player. *Cough**Cough* Darelle Revis. For now I will mock Williams to the Niners because they could use a dominant run stopper in the middle of their 3-4 defense. Bowman and Willis can take their game to another level if they could stop lineman from reaching them every play.
32 – BAL: Manti Te’o, ILB, Notre Dame – Suggs said that he would embrace him and that’s enough for me. Te’o comes with baggage, but so did Ray Lewis. Not saying that he will be the equivalent but his leadership on the field is something the the Ravens will surely welcome. The Super Bowl champs have the equity to make a pick like this in the 1st round.
Round 2
1 – JAX: Matt Barkley, QB, USC
2 – SF: David Amerson, CB, North Carolina State
3 – PHI: EJ Manuel, QB, Florida State
4 – DET: Kevin Minter, ILB, LSU
5 – CIN: Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama
6 – ARI: Sam Montgomery, DE, LSU
7 – NYJ: Alec Ogletree, ILB, Georgia
8 – TEN: DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson
9 – BUF: Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas
10 – MIA: Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise State
11 – TB: Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford
12 – CAR: Terrance Williams, WR, Baylor
13 – SD: Robert Woods, WR, USC
14 – STL: Jonathan Jenkins, DT, Georgia
15 – DAL: Barrett Jones, OG, Alabama
16 – PIT: Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee
17 – NYG: Arthur Brown, ILB, Kansas State
18 – CHI: Terron Armstead, OT, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
19 – WAS: Eric Reid, FS, LSU
20 – MIN: Da’Rick Rogers, WR, Tennessee Tech
21 – CIN: Jonathan Cyprien, SS, Florida International
22 – MIA: Phillip Thomas, SS, Fresno State
23 – GB: Quinton Patton, WR, Louisiana Tech
24 – SEA: Jamie Collins, OLB, Southern Miss
25 – HOU: Mike Glennon, QB, North Carolina State
26 – DEN: Larry Warford, OG, Kentucky
27 – NE: Ryan Swope, WR, Texas A&M
28 – ATL: Vance McDonald, TE, Rice
29 – SF: Bacarri Rambo, FS, Georgia
30 – BAL: Jordan Poyer, CB, Oregon State
Round 3
1 – KC: Ryan Nassib, QB, Syracuse
2 – JAX: Giovani Bernard, RB, North Carolina
3 – DET: Joseph Randle, RB, Oklahoma State
4 – OAK: Robert Alford, CB, Southeastern Louisiana
5 – PHI: Travis Frederick, C, Wisconsin
6 – CLE: Aaron Dobson, WR, Marshall
7 – ARI: Gavin Escobar, TE, San Diego State
8 – TEN: Tyrann Mathieu, CB, LSU
9 – BUF: Tyler Bray, QB, Tennessee
10 – NYJ: Tavarres King, WR, Georgia
11 – TB: Brandon Jenkins, DE, Florida State
12 – SF: Tony Jefferson, FS, Oklahoma
13 – NO: Jon Bostic, ILB, Florida
14 – SD: Stepfan Taylor, RB, Stanford
15 – MIA: Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin
16 – STL: Sean Porter, OLB, Texas A&M
17 – PIT: Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina
18 – DAL: Brandon Williams, DT, Missouri Southern State
19 – NYG: Jordan Reed, TE, Florida
20 – MIA: Chase Thomas, OLB, Stanford
21 – MIN: Oday Aboushi, OT, Virginia
22 – CIN: Shawn Williams, SS, Georgia
23 – WAS: Brian Schwenke, C, California
24 – IND: B.W. Webb, CB, William & Mary
25 – SEA: Andre Ellington, RB, Clemson
26 – GB: Travis Kelce, TE, Cincinnati
27 – HOU: Justin Pugh, OT, Syracuse
28 – DEN: Dwayne Gratz, CB, Connecticut
29 – NE: Logan Ryan, CB, Rutgers
30 – ATL: Johnathan Franklin, RB, UCLA
31 – SF: T.J. McDonald, FS, USC
32 – BAL: Khaled Holmes, C, USC