Doug’s NFL Mock Draft 2.0

I was already planning on doing a 2.0 version of my yearly mock, but Kansas City and Baltimore decided to force my hand. The Ravens sent Orlando Brown and some picks to the Chiefs for their first-rounder and some other picks. While it’s not a huge deal that shakes up the whole draft, it does cook up some drama. 

So as we close in on Thursday night, let’s take a look at what could go down.

1. Jacksonville: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson – Top pick. Blah blah blah. You know it all by now.
2. New York Jets: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU – Been this way for a while now. Blah blah blah. 
3. San Francisco: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio St. – Pundits are still saying Mac Jones, but I still think that’s a smokescreen.
4. Miami (TRADE): Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida – The Dolphins make a big splash, going up to get the best non-quarterback in this draft.
5. Cincinnati: Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU – Chase is a game-changer and already familiar with Joe Burrow. This draft is deep enough at OT that the Bengals can still get their guy later.
6. Atlanta (TRADE): Mac Jones, QB, Alabama – Let’s get nuts. The Falcons pull a shocker and grab their future QB while stockpiling picks for next year. 
7. Detroit: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon – The Lions have been a mess for years. They are starting over with a new QB and it only makes sense to pair him with a new LT.
8. Chicago (TRADE): Trey Lance, QB, NDSU – Ryan Pace is desperate and we’ve seen him trade up (and be fleeced) when looking to acquire a franchise QB before. Atlanta’s pick scares him into going up and getting Lance.
9. Denver: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn St – This might be a little high for him, but he’d immediately solidify the middle of Godfather Vic Fangio’s defense.
10. Dallas: Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama – He’s the best player available and fills a major need.
11. New York Giants: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama – Somehow Dave Gettleman does the right thing and still gets it wrong, selecting the wrong ‘Bama wideout and will regret it for years because….
12. Philadelphia: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama – Gettleman’s mistake is the Eagles’ gain. I don’t care how skinny he is, Smith can play. 
13. Los Angeles Chargers: Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina – The AFC West is full of speedsters and the Chargers need someone to help slow them down.
14. Minnesota: Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern: The Vikings line is good, not great. If they can upgrade there, that helps the whole offense. 
15. New England: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota: The Pats need a playmaker on offense. They could trade up to grab one of the big three, but I can see them making a splash move right here. 
16. Arizona: Jeremiah Owuswu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame: That Cardinals defense is leaky at best, so grabbing a superstar in the making only makes sense.
17. Las Vegas: Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky: He’s rocketing up draft boards and the Raiders need to fix that defense, stat.
18. Miami: Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech: It’s Tua’s show now and the Dolphins need to do everything they can to protect him. 
19. Washington: Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, USC: He can play inside or outside and can protect old man Ryan Fitzpatrick.
20. Carolina (TRADE): Greg Newsome II, CB, Northwestern: They could have had Surtain at 8, but they slide back, get a guy who’s almost as good, and pick up a ton of draft capital. 
21. Indianapolis: Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma St.: He’ll plug in next to Quenton Nelson and form one of the nastiest sides in all of football.
22. Tennessee: Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech: They’ve gambled on hurt guys in the first round before and It paid off for them. 
23. New York Jets: Gregory Rousseau, Edge, Miami: New coach Robert Saleh isn’t going to let an elite pass rusher value pass him by. 
24. Pittsburgh: Kwity Paye, Edge, Michigan: He’ll partner up with TJ Watt and create havoc in the AFC North for years to come.
25. Jacksonville: Trevon Moehring, S, TCU: The Jags secondary is in shreds and Moehrig can cover a lot of sins.
26. Cleveland: Alex Leatherwood, OL, Alabama: The Browns are solid in a lot of places. Securing the LT spot would help keep Baker Mayfield clean.
27. Baltimore: Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida St.: There’s not much after Marlon Humphrey and he’s got the pedigree to hold his own on the outside.
28. New Orleans: Jaelan Phillips, Edge, Miami: Mel Kiper called him the best pass rusher in the draft.
29. Green Bay: Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama: I can’t go against my own article.
30. Buffalo: Najee Harris, RB, Alabama: It just makes too much sense, both IRL and in fantasy. 
31. Baltimore: Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama: It’s a run on Roll Tide players. First-round centers are a bit of a luxury, but the Ravens have that with the extra pick from the Chiefs.
32. Tampa Bay: Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida: Bruce Arians is the kind of coach that knows what to do with a gadget guy like Toney. (Unlike Matt Nagy, cough cough).