Film Room Mock Draft 4.0 (Top 10 Shakeups)
Added 2018-03-29 11:49:48 +0000 UTCAs I watch more and more tape and start to complete my grades for the top players in this class, these mocks are going to get overhauled several times over. Mock 4.0 is one of the biggest overall week-to-week changes I've done thus far, and a big part of it is the insertion of Isaiah Oliver. If he goes in the top 15 picks, which I would not be surprised if he did, that could potentially push other star corners like Denzel Ward and Josh Jackson much further down in the first round. Here's how I see everything shaking out as of today.
1. Browns: Sam Darnold, QB, USC
- As I said last week, Darnold is almost the consensus number one at this point. He's still the guy.
2. Giants: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
- There is a little too much smoke here for there to be no fire in regards to trading Odell Beckham Jr. If OBJ is out of the building before the draft, that signals to me that the Giants are fully committed to a rebuild, which means taking a quarterback is the top priority. Josh Allen can sit behind Eli for one or two years and marinade while the roster is rebuilt. It's one of the better situations he can go to, to be honest.
3. Jets (via Colts): Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
- I'm a huge fan of Mayfield's game. He might not come from a traditional pro-style offense, but his accuracy, poise, and leadership qualities are undeniable. I think the Jets can tailor an offense to his skillset as a rookie, and then expand from there throughout his career.
4. Browns (via Texans): Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
- Barkley seems more and more likely by the day to be available at fourth overall. If he's there, the Browns should scoop him up without a second thought. Yes, Carlos Hyde is on the roster, but you don't pass on a talent like Barkley for Carlos freakin' Hyde. He can be a game changer in that offense and really help out Sam Darnold's development as a rookie.
5. Broncos: Quenton Nelson
- Denver struck out on getting both Kirk Cousins and one of the top three quarterbacks in the draft, so I'm going with arguably the safest player on the board here. It's a little early for me to take Josh Rosen, but I'm perfectly comfortable with grabbing Nelson here. Whether the Broncos' QB in 2018 is Case Keenum or someone else (Paxton gets another chance, maybe?), Nelson can be a crucial piece to help them be successful. He improves the offense as a whole from day one.
6. Colts (via Jets): Bradley Chubb, EDGE, NC State
- Well...this is rather fortunate. The Colts were heavy favorites to take Chubb at three, and now I get him at six, PLUS extra picks from the Jets. This is pretty damn lucky.
7. Buccaneers: Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado
- Julio Jones. Michael Thomas. Devin Funchess. The NFC South is full of big-bodied receivers that repeatedly destroy this undersized Tampa secondary, so I'm finally getting a corner that can put a stop to that. Oliver is built to take on big receivers in press coverage, and he will immediately become a critical piece of this defense. With him as a starter, Tampa might actually have a chance to compete for the division.
8. Bears: Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech
- Chicago's defense is already nasty, but can you imagine how good they can be if Edmunds reaches his full potential? He can be an all-time great Mike linebacker, and there are few coaches I would trust more to get him there than Vic Fangio. This is a perfect situation for his development.
9. 49ers: Harold Landry, EDGE, Boston College
- Landry is a flame thrower coming off the edge, which is just what the Niners need to fill out their defensive line. He can be a great situational pass rusher as a rookie, or potentially even a starting LEO. He'll have a bunch of double-digit sack seasons.
10. Raiders: Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama
- Minkah Fitzpatrick is a Jon Gruden kind of player. He's tough, he's smart, and he has a no-nonsense approach to preparation that meshes well with his new head coach. It also doesn't hurt that he can slide into the starting free safety position from day one and instantly provide some juice to this defense. Between Fitzpatrick, Karl Joseph, Gareon Conley, and Obi Melinfonwu, the Raiders will have a lot of great young secondary talent to develop over the next few years.
11. Dolphins: Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan
- With Hurst now cleared to return to football after a health scare at the combine, his stock is rocketing back up to where it should have been this whole time. Big Mo is a truly dynamic 3-technique who reminds most people who watch him (myself included) of Aaron Donald. He's got a low center of gravity, really good hands and power for his size, and an insanely explosive first step. The Dolphins can slot him into their starting defensive line from day one and let him just go hunt quarterbacks.
12. Bills (via Bengals): Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
- I am still concerned about Rosen's history of concussions, as I stated before, but if I'm the Bills GM I have no choice but to take him here. We traded all the way up to the top twelve for a quarterback, and we sure as hell aren't going to leave one sitting on the board. Does his durability scare me? Definitely. Is he still good enough on the field to justify this risk? Absolutely.
13. Redskins: Vita Vea, DT, Washington
- If Jim Tomsula could design his ideal two-gapping nose tackle from scratch, it would look like Vita Vea. I'm sure when he got a chance to coach him at the combine it was like seeing a vision from God. You should expect Jimmy T to lobby the front office very hard to get this guy in the building.
14. Packers: Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia
- Like I predicted in last week's episode of The Film Room, Roquan could take a bit of a tumble down the draft board next month. I couldn't quite find a fit for him in the top 10, but at least I can end his slide here with the Packers. Green Bay has a tremendous amount of defensive line talent to keep Smith clean on the second level, which should allow his talents as a sideline to sideline clean up crew to shine even brighter.
15. Cardinals: Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
- Lamar Jackson is not one of the 15 best players in this class, or at least not according to my current big board, but the Cardinals are a really good situation for him. With Sam Bradford now in town, Jackson might be able to ride the bench for a year and marinade while some combination of Bradford, Glennon, and Gabbert steers the ship. I don't expect the Cardinals to make the playoffs, but at the very least they might win enough games to justify keeping Jackson off the field before he is ready.
16. Ravens: Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU
- Sutton slid a little bit in this mock, which means he's now available for the Ravens at 16. Baltimore has their deep threat in John Brown, and Michael Crabtree is a solid number two, but Sutton has a chance to be a very good number one and a consistent threat in the red zone. Finally, Flacco has a semi-respectable receiving corps.
17. Chargers: Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama
- The Chargers are a team with very few actual needs. One of them is nose tackle, where Brandon Mebane is fast approaching the end of his career. Da'Ron Payne can play anywhere from 5-technique to a cocked nose like Mebane, and I think he's a natural fit to take over in a year or so.
18. Seahawks: Isaiah Wynn, OL, Georgia
- Wynn is probably the second best offensive lineman in this draft. He can play either guard or tackle, but will most likely stick at guard long term. I think Seattle is still so inconsistent all over their line that they could try him at basically every position (except center) until they find the right combination. No matter what, he'll be a 10-year starter somewhere on this line.
19. Cowboys: Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame
- McGlinchey is probably better off at right tackle than left tackle, which happens to be the only semi-hole on the Cowboys offensive line. He can compete with Cameron Fleming for the starting job on the right side, or at worst be a very solid swing tackle if Tyron Smith gets hurt again. You can never have too much depth.
20. Lions: Marcus Davenport, EDGE, UTSA
- Imagine having Ziggy Ansah rushing off the edge for your defense. Now imagine having two of them.
21. Bengals (via Bills): Derwin James, S/LB, Florida State
- The Bengals are pretty solid in most of their roster (OL and DL not withstanding), which means they can afford to get a little creative in the first round. Strong safety is not necessarily a dire need for this defense, but James is so freakishly talented that I think Cincy could figure out a way to use him. Whether he competes for the strong safety job as a rookie or plays some sort of hybrid nickel role is completely up to the coaches, but the fact that he can do BOTH of those options is very appealing. When you're talking about this much raw talent, just take the kid and figure it out later.
22. Bills (via Chiefs): Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State
- Yes, Ward fell this far. Yes, I know that this is very low for him. Just consider it a gift, Buffalo.
23. Rams: Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State
- The Rams need a true Mike linebacker like I need oxygen, and Vander Esch is one of the best Mikes in this class. With Suh, Donald, and LVE patrolling between the hashes, it's going to be damn near impossible to pound the rock up the middle on this Rams team. Those kinds of downhill run games killed LA last year, so addressing that weakness was a major priority going into 2018.
24. Panthers: Josh Jackson, CB, Iowa
- The Panthers' number one corner right now is still James Bradberry. Jackson stays as the pick.
25. Titans: Connor Williams, OL, Texas
- The Titans offensive line is overall a pretty good unit, but it couldn't hurt to add depth and competition to the left guard spot. After all, you're only as good as your worst offensive lineman.
26. Falcons: Taven Bryan, DL, Florida
- Bryan is a fantastic athlete who can fill Atlanta's need for a hybrid defensive end. Whether he's rushing as a 7-technique, 5-technique, or 3-technique, Bryan's explosiveness for a 290-pounder really jumps off the tape. He's not quite as long as you want for a defensive end, but he makes up for it with power, speed, and surprising bend for his size. In a perfect world, he'll develop into the Falcons' own version of Michael Bennett.
27. Saints: Harrison Phillips, DL, Stanford
- New Orleans could really use help on their interior line. Harrison Phillips can slide in as a 4-3 cocked nose from day one and provide value as both a run stopper and pocket pusher in the pass game. He's not as twitchy as Mo Hurst or as strong as Vita Vea, but he really knows how to get the most out of his leverage and hand placement. His wrestling background really shows up on the field.
28. Steelers: Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State
- My gut says that Big Ben only has one year left...maybe two at the most. Mason Rudolph might not be one of the first five quarterbacks off the board, but that doesn't mean that he's unworthy of first round consideration. There is a LOT to like about him on tape, whether it be his release, his quick progressions, or his decision making. The only real downside is that his arm strength is...well...not that great.
Will he ever be an elite quarterback? Probably not, but I think he's a QB you can win a lot of games with, and in the post-Ben Steelers era they will want one of those around while they retool the roster. Getting a cheap fifth year option on a young quarterback is what makes this pick even more worth it, because if Rudolph does in fact work out, it gives the Steelers a lot of cap flexibility in that extra year.
29. Jaguars: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
- Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns are gone, which means Ridley has a huge opportunity to contribute early to this offense. Between Ridley, Donte Moncrief, Marqise Lee, DeDe Westbrook, and Keelan Cole, the Jags should be able to get by just fine receiver this season.
30. Vikings: Will Hernandez, OG, UTEP
- What do you give to the team that has basically everything? Well...offensive line depth, of course!
31. Patriots: Mike Hughes, CB, UCF
- The Patriots have lost both of their previous starting corners in the past two offseasons, and now they are only left with Stephon Gillmore and Jason McCourty. That's not the worst duo in the world, but I think adding Mike Hughes to that position group to give them some competition (and depth in case of injury) is a pretty good idea.
32. Eagles: Derrius Guice, RB, LSU
- Blount is gone, Ajayi has one year left on his deal, and the door is wide open for Derrius Guice to emerge as the new bell cow next to Carson Wentz. It's hard to imagine a better situation for Guice than a loaded roster and a genius head coach that will know how to use him.