Welcome to the Niners Nation 2018 NFL mock draft. Once again, we’ve brought together 32 site members to hopefully get through a full seven rounds of the 2018 NFL Draft. I say “hopefully” because 256 draft picks is a lot to get through. We’ve got just under four weeks left until the draft. Last year we made it through the whole thing in approximately three weeks, so fingers crossed we can power through this.
We are doing the draft via email, and then picks will be posted on the site. Since we’re going a full seven rounds, we are putting together a live update post for each round. This post will have all the first round picks, the next will have all the second round picks and so forth. Additionally, rather than dumping in all the picks at once, I’m going to update one pick at a time, roughly once an hour or so.
The San Francisco 49ers pick ninth in the first round, and so we’ll get through the first nine picks this first day. The plan then is to post a third of the picks tomorrow, and the final third on Wednesday. Then, we’ll move on to round two, and so forth, and this should take us to draft week. In the threads for subsequent rounds, I’ll include a table with the previous rounds’ picks.
And we’re off!
1. Cleveland Browns - Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma (Mertons_merkin)
Let me try to keep this brief. I had considered every option, including not taking a QB first, and not taking one with either of the first round picks (would be hilarious to snag Kyle Lauletta out from under the Pats), but the reality is that the Browns need a QB desperately. No reason to cede the decision on the best QB to someone else. It’s time to finally do this.
There is no Andrew Luck in this class. Nobody you can point to and say that they are a “can’t miss” quarterback. Instead we have five very good prospects to pick from. All of them have flaws. I actually like all five of the top options. I like Darnold and Rosen less than most people do, and I like Jackson and Allen more than most people do. All five of these guys are worth taking a risk on. All five have a good chance to make it, but the fit must be right. Allen might be the best fit for the Browns offense from an ability standpoint, but the risk is simply too high. Mayfield might be a better fit for a WCO team, but if that’s the case, the Browns are better off firing the coaching staff in a year than looking elsewhere now, because the team needs his identity, and his skill set is too good to pass on.
Mayfield is insanely accurate, especially in the middle of the field. He’s especially good when called on to make the NFL throws (though his offense doesn’t ask him to do that much). He has a quick release, solid feel for the pocket, and an above average arm for the NFL. He’s good in structure, and good when the play breaks down. He was a walk on at Texas Tech, and won the starting job AS A WALK ON FRESHMAN. After they let him leave to develop Patrick Mahomes, he walked on at a bigger and more prestigious football school, and won that job immediately. What ESPN and talk radio sell as “over confidence” is actually exactly what the Browns need - competitiveness.
The drawback is obvious. He’s not the tallest guy in the world. He is going to have to overcome that. There will be balls batted down. But he’s got the mindset needed to overcome that. He also has the talent. Don’t let the offense he played in make you think he’s not capable.
Bottom line, the Browns have no identity. They need more than just a quarterback. Mayfield isn’t a bad person, he’s just relentless. We live in a culture that loves success, but hates all the traits that create it. Mayfield is an easy target because he is ultra competitive, and ultra determined. Those are the same qualities that have driven Brady and Rodgers to greatness. Baker Mayfield is not a can’t miss option. But I think he’s the best option for the Browns.
2. New York Giants - Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA (Davidss)
The Giants don’t plan on drafting this high in the future. They need to use their draft capital on a QB and Rosen is the best of the lot. Rosen’s most popular player comparison is Eli Manning, so why not learn from the man himself.
None of the other QBs have the combination of footwork, mechanics, processing, and accuracy that Rosen’s has. Darnold has the processing but not the footwork and mechanics. Mayfield has the mechanics and accuracy, but not the footwork or processing. Jackson and Allen are not really on the level of the other three.
Others considered:
1) All the QBs
2) Bradley Chubb
3) Minkah Fitzpatrick
3. New York Jets - Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville (Blackout52)
In my opinion, Baker Mayfield, Josh Rosen, and Lamar Jackson (in no particular order) are the 3 best QBs in this class. I didn’t expect the first two to go in the first two picks, but Lamar Jackson is as good a consolation prize as any. The Jets offense vastly outperformed expectations in 2017, but this offense still lacks viable playmakers, which is why it only makes sense to grab the best playmaker in the draft.
Jackson adds something my other options Sam Darnold and Josh Allen don’t: The ability to carry a bad supporting cast. Darnold worked with a very good USC team (and still struggled often). Allen worked with a very bad Wyoming team and didn’t really help them much despite playing mostly bad competition. Jackson definitely had the toughest go of things: He played one of CFB’s toughest schedules in 2017 with an offensive line that ranked 48th in the nation in adjusted sack rate and receivers that dropped 8.5% of his passes (for context, Allen’s dropped 4.8% and Darnold’s dropped 4.5%). I think these two need to be put in good positions to have any chance of success in the NFL, especially Allen, but with Jackson all you need to do is let him create with his arms and legs, a la Deshaun Watson, who was on pace to lead the league in TDs last season despite having one of the league’s worst offensive lines.
With the haul the Jets gave up to move up to this spot, they won’t have many chances to fix this offense, and their defense could still use a lot of work. The best chance they have of success in the near future is finding a QB who can carry a team with poor talent around him, and there’s no QB this year who’s proven he can do that better than Lamar Jackson.
4. Cleveland Browns - Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State (Mertons_merkin)
I bet we see a trade here in real life. Browns have needs at Edge, Free Safety, and running back. But none of them are primary needs. Damarious Randall is going to be a better FS than people realize, and will allow the Browns to put Peppers back where he belongs at SS, Carlos Hyde and Duke Johnson would seem to be an interesting duo, and Emmanuel Ogbah has carved out a role for himself at DE... Backing out on a talented second rounder who is doing a solid enough job is a mistake.
The smart move here is to trade back a few spots, and try to land Josh Jackson. He’s the best fit, for a long zone corner, and we need two of those. But let’s imagine that somehow Darnold doesn’t have the value, or teams are content to wait it out. Running back is a deep position this year, and pass rusher is not. But there’s no reason to look back five years from now and regret what could have been. Here is your new era with the Browns. We got our passer, and now we’ve handed Todd Haley his version of Le’Veon Bell. We’ve got work to do from here on defense, but we’ve given ourselves an identity on offense. And it’s lethal.
5. Denver Broncos - Bradley Chubb, DE, N.C. State (Tomac21)
I think Bradley Chubb is a better pass rushing prospect than Myles Garrett was last year. Chubb is a three down player. Not only is Chubb an elite pass rusher, but he finished second in the class with a run stop percentage of 11 percent. He has a tremendous work ethic, and would be a perfect fit across from Von Miller.
The Broncos guaranteed $25 million to Case Keenum, who is believed to have the faith of the Broncos organization that they have found their guy. They also believe Paxton Lynch isn’t a bust just yet, and needs to develop more. So, with this pick the team gets better having a day one starter.
To sum it up, short and simple, Chubb can do it all. He is a problematic edge rusher for opposing offenses alongside Von Miller for the next five years.
6. Indianapolis Colts - Quenton Nelson, OG, Notre Dame (Rowingdave)
With Chubb and Barkley off the board, and both Josh Allen and Sam Darnold available, I can see the Colts eager to trade down again. However, if they stay put, the Colts won’t think too hard about this pick and walk confidently to the podium to select Quenton Nelson, the best offensive lineman in this draft, and a future perennial All-Pro. Plain and simple, Nelson dominates his competition, and it’s hard to find a few bad SNAPS on his tape, whereas most prospects would love to only have a few bad games. I do think a player like Harold Landry will get more consideration than people think, and Denzel Ward may warrant a sniff, but this pick melds high value and high need; with three picks in the second round, the Colts are well-positioned to grab some difference makers if they stand pat or package picks to move up. Either way, this is a great pick for the Colts, as Nelson will end up with the better career than Chubb.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama (BayAreaBOI)
Fitzpatrick was the best player available on my draft board and is a position of need. He will be a great leader on our defense for a long time. With the additions of Jason Pierre-Paul and Vinnie Curry our defense looks like it will be able to compete against the likes of the Saints, Falcons and Panthers.
8. Chicago Bears - Connor Williams, OT, Texas (#hawktomegoose)
The NFL is a copycat league and the Bears will follow the blueprint laid out by the Rams. No, I don’t mean going out and trading for two stud corners and then signing a dominant DL, but rather copy what they did last season with Goff: make the sole focus of the year to help out your young franchise QB as much as possible. This is especially true for guys like Goff or, in the case of the Bears, Mitchell Trubisky - if your young franchise QB isn’t Andrew Luck, allow him to develop his weaknesses and keep his confidence up by surrounding him with as much talent as possible.
Da Bears already started this process by turning a weak WR corps into a strength by adding guys like Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel. They’ve also got Howard in the backfield and most of their OL in place save for a guard and an upgrade at RT - that’s where Williams comes in...
There is a lot said about the Bears new OL coach and his connection to Notre Dame making Nelson or McGlinchey more likely, but I think that in the case of McGlinchey it does quite the opposite - McGlinchey’s obvious weakness against speedy, quick-burst pass rushers gives Williams the nod here. Williams struggled a bit more this past season after some nagging injuries, but he’s easily the best pass protector out of this tackle class IMO and his fit in the run game could mean that the Bears could rekindle the success they found in 2016 with Howard running the outside zone (they were tops or near the top of the league running outside zone in ‘16 I believe).
It’s not a sexy pick and guys like Landry, Smith, or even Edmunds (we know how much Fangio loves length and size on defense) are tempting, but ultimately the Bears make the smart choice here and help Trubisky to develop into their franchise QB.
9. San Francisco 49ers - Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia (GSheen)
The question is do the Niners go with the extraordinaire, Tremaine Edmunds or with the cerebral assassin, Roquan Smith?
Linebacker position is such an instinctive position, in a sense that anticipation and ability to make reads and process information quickly weigh heavier than just having the ideal measurements.
Look at Stephone Anthony, 31th overall in 2015 draft, who has some amazing physical traits but also with sub-par instincts. In his first 3 seasons, Stephone has yet to show any uptick in his positional instincts and continues to fade away from the professional spotlight. Not saying Edmunds is Anthony, but he is the definition of a boom or bust prospect. For every Brian Urlacher, there are many Stephone Anthonys.
Roquan Smith embodies all the mental traits you want in a linebacker on every single snap. It is rare to find a linebacker that can defend every blade of grass on the field week in week out. Roquan will give you that and more. His film is loaded with unreal sideline-to-sideline plays, lightning-quick play diagnoses, and fine tackling skills. He reminds me of a rangier Lavonte David. The main knock on him is his ability to stack and shed blocks from linemen consistently. But, he usually stays a step ahead of his opponents and has the agility to sidestep his blockers with relative ease. He fits better in a 4-3 Under scheme and, if Saleh finds creative ways to keep him clean, Roquan will give everything to protect the house. Although, some people may not be enamored at drafting a weakside ‘backer at No. 9, this position is gaining traction as NFL offenses continue to evolve.
10. Oakland Raiders - Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech (twolfe2)
On defense, the Raiders could use an upgrade in talent virtually everywhere in order to give Khalil Mack some help. The Raiders have still not brought Bowman back, and they still might do so. Just like when Al Davis was around and you could always count on the Raiders to take the player with the best combine numbers, give me Edmunds for them. He is young, raw, and everything the Raiders need. With Mack by his side, this will be a great tandem. Bowman can still be brought back to mentor him also. Had the 49ers drafted Edmunds, this pick would have been Smith.
11. Miami Dolphins - Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama (MD49erFaithful)
As the Dolphins GM I wanted to replace the production Jarvis Landry provided and went with the top overall WR prospect in Calvin Ridley. Alabama has good history the last 6-7 years producing top WR talent with Julio and Cooper.
I thought about Darnold at QB, if nothing else for tradeable value, but went with the more pressing production need to try and salvage Tannehill’s career or the next franchise QB. Also considered Da’Ron Payne at DT, but I felt the difference between Payne and a second round player was less than Ridley and a second round WR.
12. Buffalo Bills - Sam Darnold, QB, USC (Rhardin49)
Total no-brainer Bills on a 20 search for a legitimate Franchise Qb (post Jim Kelley). Much discussed and expensive trade up with the New York Giants proves unnecessary. We are very pleased to have Darnold, he can sit for this year behind McCarron for most or all of 2018 and refine his game.
13. Washington - Vita Vea, DT, Washington (Shanafandom)
Yes, Washington to Washington. Their rush defense was horrible last year, giving up 2,146 rushing yards, worst in the NFL. The defense has some good linemen in Jonathan Allen and Matt Ioannidis. But they lack a nose for base, and need depth for sub-packages, where Vea is talented enough to play in. And while the team has been connected to FA Jonathan Hankins, it’s looking less likely at the moment (Just watch him get signed before this gets posted). I almost went with Derwin James since I don’t fully trust their safeties, especially with injuries, and I think he’s a fantastic player. But it all starts in the trenches, so Vea gets the slight nod.
14. Green Bay Packers - Derwin James, S, Florida State (Fred Mercury)
Almost went with Denzel Ward here, as he’s probably the best cover corner in the draft. However, James was too good to pass up. Similar to Dom Capers, Mike Pettine’s 3-4 emphasizes press coverage corners and Ward struggles with the ability to jam and disrupt. James on the other hand is big, fast, athletic, and can be deployed anywhere on the field, including as a blitzer. While he doesn’t have the coverage ability that Ward has, his potential is very high. James is also considered an alpha and a leader. Green Bay needs a big upgrade on defense and James is a player who can step in right away and fill multiple holes on the field.
Other players considered: Denzel Ward, Harold Landry, Marcus Davenport
15. Arizona Cardinals - Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming (AzSharksFan)
Like Rhardin49 earlier this is a no-brainer. The Cardinals have neglected the position for a decade and the chickens have come home to roost, so to speak. Josh Allen has his questions regarding accuracy and mechanics (among others) for sure, but he has the ideal size, arm strength, and mobility to potentially be a franchise guy.
Other players considered: Mike McGlinchey, Denzel Ward, Marcus Davenport
16. Baltimore Ravens - Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU (LizardState)
The Ravens’ passing game was horrible, 29th in passing last season, & 27th in total offense. The Raven just lost their best receiver, Mike Wallace, in FA, so a WR is the top need.
17. Los Angeles Chargers - Da’Ron Payne, DT, Alabama (Brother Girth)
The NFC West is up for grabs this year, and the Chargers are in a prime position to own it. Football Outsiders has them with the #12 defense in 2017, but 9th against the pass and 27th against the run. We are going to fix that. From NFL.com, Da’Ron Payne is “Built like a wall of granite.” He will replace 33 year old Brandon Mebane at the 1-tech and start Week 1.
18. Seattle Seahawks - Will Hernandez, OG, UTEP (BryKno)
You have to give credit where credit is due – the Seahawks aren’t messing around this offseason. If Blair Walsh connects on his field goal at the end of Week 11’s game against Atlanta (or they don’t run that bizarre fake field goal attempt at the end of the first half), Seattle would have made the playoffs. That would be excuse enough for most teams to sit on their laurels and expect luck to go better next year (we call this the “Jim Tomsula” stratagem.) Instead, Seattle’s used this opportunity to do a controlled implosion of the roster, clearing out salary cap space and beginning to address some of the underlying structural issues that had been masked by playoff success. It’s not quite a full-on rebuild, but it is at least a reset.
That makes this pick hard – it’s probably the most likely pick in the entire draft to be traded, at this point. The Seahawks have just one pick in the top 110, thanks to the Sheldon Richardson and Duane Brown trades. They’re going to be trying hard to move back and pick up 2-4 picks in the middle rounds. But, let’s pretend for the moment that trades are suddenly banned from the NFL. What direction to the Seahawks go in?
I’m going with Will Hernandez. The Seahawks could use their first three picks on the offensive line and I couldn’t blame them; they ranked second-to-last in run blocking in Football Outsiders’ adjusted line yards stat, and 26th in pass protection. It’s hard to run an offense when defenders cut through your line like butter, and it’s a massive credit to Russell Wilson that the Seahawks were able to gain any positive yardage last year. Hernandez has a combination of power, balance and athleticism that should make him a top-tier run blocker coming out of the gates. Hernandez, Duane Brown and Justin Britt are a good start for an offensive line rebuild. Now they just need two more starters…
Other players considered:
Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State: Pretty much the antithesis to the traditional Longer, Taller, Tougher Seattle cornerback paradigm, Ward is still the best player available, and at a position where the Seahawks have lost four players this offseason to boot.
Mike Hughes, CB, UCF: Again, the height is an issue, but with no Richard Sherman, Jeremy Lane, Byron Maxwell, or DeShawn Shead, they need bodies in the secondary.
Marcus Davenport, EDGE, UT San Antonio: Michael Bennett is an Eagle. Cliff Avril may never play again. The Seahawks have Frank Clark on the roster, but could use edge rushing reinforcement, and few remaining flash more potential than Davenport
19. Dallas Cowboys - Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State (BiggySmalls)
Well, I wasn’t expecting to pick up a DB in the 1st rd for the Cowboys, but Ward was my 8th BPA in the draft, and I’m a firm believer to ALWAYS take BPA, and not of a need.
I was considering Payne, but he was taken a few picks earlier. Also considered Davenport and R. Evans, if Ward had been taken by Seattle. I then would of taken Davenport over Evans, for a few reasons. Pass rush is huge in this league. Davenport to pair with Lawrence could be scary pass rush, which makes the DBs better. Evans, you can get a LB similar to him in the 2nd.
The top needs are DT and LB. However, with a deep class in those 2 positions, and not a huge difference in the talent drop from 1st to 2nd Rd(excluding the top 2 players in ea of those positions, but they already gone). So i figure The Cowboys could address those needs there.. but no way could we pass up on Ward at #19.
That’s a damn steal in the draft for a blue chip type player, if he last this long.
20. Detroit Lions - Isaiah Wynn, OG, Georgia (Camp Frogger)
21. Cincinnati Bengals - Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama (budabear78)
Vontaze Burfict is talented but unreliable to stay on the field. Evans is a plug & play WILL or MIKE linebacker who can fill in for Burfict for the four games he is suspended and eventually replace the constant headache. Alabama has a strong recent history of linebackers from CJ Moseley, Ragland, Foster, Hightower, etc. I strongly considered Josh Jackson but passed because Cincinnati has spent three first round picks in the last six years on corners and are in good shape with William Jackson III, Dre Kirkpatrick and Darqueze Dennard. We will address offensive line later with the acquisition of Cordy Glenn, its less of a desperate need.
22. Buffalo Bills - Leighton Vander Esch (Rhardin49)
23. Los Angeles Rams - Harold Landry, Edge, Boston College (ak4niner)
Even with the signing of Suh, the Rams still need a bona fide pass rusher. Landry is the closest to fit the bill. Landry will give the Rams that added pass rush to make the life of opposing QB’s miserable. Even the skills and talent of Jimmy G will be dreading meeting the Rams D with this addition.
I’m going to quote his nfl.com scouting report because they say it better than I can.
“Landry lacks premium size, but his burst, stride length and ability to dip and rip around the edge give him special potential as an edge rusher. Landry lacks strength at the point of attack and may be a designated pass rusher early in his career. While he can play standing for 3-4 teams, he’s at his best with his hand in the dirt as a rusher. Landry can get by as an NFL rusher with just speed and athleticism, but he has an opportunity to become a Pro Bowler if he can improve his hand usage and develop an inside counter.”
It’s his special potential and the fact he won’t need to do everything right away that makes this pick a steal. With Landry in the fold, this D will be scary good for many years to come.
Other considerations:
Leighton Vander Esch - Some other team grabbed him right before...thanks.
Orlando Brown - One of the few OT’s I’d consider grabbing in the first. Landry was just too good to pass up.
Deon Cain - Need another WR, but it’s too early to grab one quite yet.
24. Carolina Panthers - Justin Reid, S, Stanford (86derps)
The Carolina Panthers have a really good team with not to many holes. However, upgrading the safety position would be helpful to round out a very good defense. Kurt Coleman was lost to free agency and free agent Da’Norris Searcy was signed but he should be a back up at this point. This is why Carolina selects Justin Reid with the 24th pick in the 1st round. Reid ran a 4.40 forty at the combine which was the 4th best time among all DB’s. At 6’ and 207 lbs he bring a little size as well. Going to Stanford and having a brother in the NFL (sort of) doesn’t hurt either. Reid should hold down the FS spot for the Carolina Panthers for years to come.
Reid may seem like a little of a reach at this point, but Reid has very little risk of not working out in the NFL. Also looked at drafting the speedy Jaire Alexander at this spot. Went with Reid due to the depth at the CB position in this years draft.
25. Tennessee Titans - Josh Jackson, CB, Iowa (HarbaughalypseNow)
Even with the Malcom Butler signing, you can never have two many good coverage guys and JJ is a great value here. The Patriots South boast a talented but underachieving roster. While they need help at Edge, they will give the rest of the AFC South fits with their revamped secondary.
26. Atlanta Falcons - Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan (RinaldoPurrisimo)
I was prepared to take a guard here or a slot receiver. I have Hurst as a top 5 talent. I legitimately have no idea why he’s fallen so low in most mocks. He’s a better version of Jonathon Allen. The Falcons have a few guys about to hit free agency next year and need to prepare combined with losing Poe in Free Agency. By No means is Hurst a Nose type. But he’s more than capable of replacing Grady Jarrett when he leaves for free agency and maybe even slotting in where Adrian Clayborn had been on run downs.
27. New Orleans Saints - Marcus Davenport, DE, UTSA (DeltaLima)
While the Saints need pass-catching options for Brees, the number one priority is improving their front seven. They need a secondary pass rush option opposite Cameron Jordan , and pressing Sheldon Rankins into DE duty to fill in for an injured Alex Okafor tested their depth in the middle. Davenport provides a strong secondary pass rush with a chance to be coached up into a force. He also provides insurance if Okafor doesn’t come back fully from his Achilles tear or if there is another injury on the d line in 2018. While I considered TE with this pick, having Davenport slip to 27 was too good to pass up.
28. Pittsburgh Steelers - Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama (nyasa)
The Steelers have several needs to address and a couple unknowns. They have an obvious need up the middle on defense, with Shazier out for the foreseeable future, ILB is the largest need.
Unfortunately, both Rashaan Evans and Leighton Vander Esch are off the board, and it would be a reach this early to go after some of the other ILBs in the draft. They did sign Jon Bostic from the Colts to help fill the void for now. IRL Pit takes Evans or Vander Esch.
Safety is another need, even though they have also signed Morgan Burnett from the Packers. Since the top safeties are also off the board already, one question was to go after someone like Ronnie Harrison this early. He seems to fit the profile of what the Steelers like, hard hitting, in the box thumper.
The Steelers also have to address several unknowns, namely the Bell and Big Ben questions. We know Ben is not for long, eyeing retirement soon, but no QBs left in the draft warrant a 1st round pick. With Bell seemingly an annual question mark, the Steelers could look at RB, such as Guice to solidify the position for the next few years.
All that said, the Steelers will look to win now this year with Bell and Ben, at least for 2018, and they will look for someone that can help and play now. It might be a reach, but they go for Harrison, hoping to perhaps even use him or Burnett in the box more to help out the LBs, similar to how Troy Polamalu used to play.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars - Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame (Lancashire49er)
With an inconsistent RG in AJ Cann coming to the end of his rookie deal and RT Jermey Parnell at the back end of his career, there is a priority need to enhance the OL, secure the future and create a dominating Jaguars rushing attack. Interior OL would have been the immediate address but with a number of top tier, power based interior OL off the board, the opportunity to take McGlinchey at this point in RD1 is too good. Excellent in both pass and run blocking, McGlinchey has sound ability to lock on to most rushers or step up to the second level and open up holes in the running game.
30. Minnesota Vikings - Billy Price, C/OG, Ohio State (Blackpool Niner)
His torn pec could have pushed him out of the first round, but Vikings are in a position where they can take the short-term hit and ease in a guy who can (with some work in pass pro) protect their shiny new franchise QB for years to come. Vikes need to replace the retiring Joe Berger and with Wynn and Hernandez gone, Price is a solid selection here. The fact that he’ll miss some of training camp sucks, but once he’s recovered it shouldn’t take him too long to become a long-time, productive starter. I was very tempted to take Mike McGlinchey and have Mike Remmers move to guard, but JAX’s selection relieved me of that problem.
31. New England Patriots - Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA (JMichael39)
Losing Tom Brady’s blindside protection was too huge a lose to not address in this pick.
32. Philadelphia Eagles - Derrius Guice, RB, LSU (GreatOden’sRaven)
This was actually pretty easy, mainly because all the O-Lineman I thought worthy of the pick were gone (thanks Patriots!) and all three first round Safeties were gone.
One of the nice things about winning the title and having a well stacked team is that you don’t have a ton of gaping holes on the roster. This Eagles team is no exception. They needed some beef on the frontline and another WR but they got both of those in Free Agency. I still feel their biggest needs are safety and tackle but neither of those are a value pick here, so I went BPA.
Guice will fit in really well with the Eagles, who have Ajayi on the last season of his contract and not much else in the backfield. I think he can switch on and off with Ajayi and start next season as the day 1 starter. He has excellent burst, amazing balance and elite vision. The man is simply hard to take down. If he continues developing you could be looking at Marshawn Lynch all over again. How scary would this offense be with Marshawn Lynch in the backfield? Guice also has been asked to prove he can catch balls out of the backfield and word is he has done so in workouts. Even if that isnt his strong suit, the Eagles have Clements for that.
I think the Eagles hit a home run with BPA at #32.