Mauricio’s Mock Draft 3.0: Two Rounds Edition

The first overall pick in the Draft will come down to Josh Allen or Sam Darnold. The Browns can’t afford to take the risk of passing on Darnold’s play-making ability and opt for him instead of a QB who can be great, but still has a lot of work to do.

(Mock Trade: The Bills send their #12, #22, #53 for the Giants’ #2 pick)
The Bills send a ton of selections to New York to land their QB. Josh Rosen is the best quarterback from a passing technique perspective and will be a great pocket-passer in the NFL. Some have Rosen falling, but I believe he goes earlier than expected.

After giving the Colts three second-rounders, the Jets find their guy, Baker Mayfield. Although his height is far from ideal, Baker’s arm and pocket awareness will give defenses a headache when playing against him. The Jets get a hell of a leader and a fierce competitor.

If the Browns are to play under a rookie quarterback like Darnold, adding a running back as good as Saquon Barkley (and boy, is he good) will go a long way into taking the pressure of the QB’s shoulders. Cleveland shouldn’t overthink this one, Barkley is a franchise-changing player.

Denver stays put and takes the best arm in the NFL Draft. With Case Keenum on the roster, Allen won’t have to start from week 1, which is great for him. Allen can grow into a franchise quarterback and make all the throws he has to to be succesful on Sundays.

The Colts need to fill a lot of spots on their roster. Moving to a 4-3 defense this season, they get themselves a quality pass rusher in Bradley Chubb. Chubb has a ton of talent and is a very smart rusher with very good technique.

Fitzpatrick could play as a safety or as a cornerback for any NFL team. The Buccaneers need help at both positions and the only reason Minkah is available at this point is the amount of quarterbacks taken in the first picks. At just pick #7, Fitzpatrick is already a steal.

Quenton Nelson might be the best player in the class and with Chicago needing to protect their young signal-caller Mitchell Trubisky, drafting Nelson is a no-brainer.

Tremaine Edmunds is a rangy linebacker who can grow into one of the best in the league in a short period of time. The 49ers should be looking to add talent at LB, specially after the concerning news regarding Reuben Foster.

I won’t be surprised if a team like the Arizona Cardinals want to jump over the Dolphins and take Lamar Jackson in the top 10, but in this scenario, Oakland stays put and drafts Denzel Ward, arguably the best CB in the Draft.

Roquan Smith is still available at #11 and Miami doesn’t hesitate to add a defense-changing player like himself. Miami’s roster is thinner than many like to admit, they have a chance to draft a captain LB here.

(Mock Trade: The Bills send their #12, #22, #53 for the Giants’ #2 pick)
The Giants continue to add talent to their OL, even after signing Nate Solder in free agency. If they are trusting Eli Manning for a couple of years, then giving him a quality OL is a priority.

Derwin James somehow falls all the way to the 13th overall pick and the Redskins add an incredible talent that can play in many spots over the secondary. Washington needs defensive backfield help and few prospects will be able to deliver such thing as much as James.

Harold Landry is a very talented rusher and despite missing a lot of time due to injuries in 2017, he finds his way inside the top 15 picks and gets taken by the Packers, who desperately need a pass rusher.

Some may consider this early for Lamar Jackson, but I truly believe he’ll become a franchise QB in the NFL. The Cardinals benefit from teams passing on him and find him at 15. I won’t be surprised if they make a trade to make sure they land him, because they can’t be comfortable with Sam Bradford as their only potential starter in 2018.

Calvin Ridley may not be an “X” receiver, but he doesn’t need to be one to have the impact needed on offense. He simply has a natural ability to get open, the Ravens should get one more weapon for Joe Flacco by adding this talented receiver.

The Chargers add talent for their offensive line in Connor Williams, whose stock has taken a hit over the last few months but should still be able to succeed as a tackle or a guard in the NFL.

I may be higher on Mike Hughes than most, but I truly believe he’ll be a very special player and may become a lock-down type of cornerback down the road. He also adds a weapon as a returner.

The Cowboys have a ton of needs and will find talent for basically every position they could use at 19. Vita Vea would help the defense a lot, wrecking chaos in the middle of the line of scrimmage. With talented players like DeMarcus Lawrence and David Irving, the Cowboys could have a top defensive line for the 2018 season.
If they don’t find Vea, they could target a WR like Sutton or Moore. Offensive guard might be an option as well, specially with Hernandez and Wynn still on the board. Rashaan Evans and Leighton Vander Esch will also be in consideration, but I don’t like either at 19 compared to the other prospects, to be honest.

I won’t be surprised if a running back goes in this pick, but the Lions need defensive talent and in this mock, they draft Rashaan Evans. He’s a linebacker who still needs time to develop, but can contribute early with his talent.

After basically adding a tackle with their 12th pick (which was traded to the Buffalo Bills), the Bengals’ offensive line still needs help. Isaiah Wynn provides a quality starting guard and could also play as a tackle if needed. However, playing him at guard should be the plan.

(Mock Trade: The Bills send their #12, #22, #53 for the Giants’ #2 pick)
This time, the Giants add a raw but talented edge rusher in Marcus Davenport. His athleticism can turn him into one of the best in the league after some playing experience. This is very good value for the Giants at 22.

The Patriots lost Nate Solder during free agency and try to replace him with a big guy like UCLA’s Kolton Miller. Day 1 starter to protect Tom Brady. The GOAT is not retiring anytime soon.

Carolina needs to fix the cornerback position as soon as possible and Jaire Alexander is the way to go at 24. A top-20 talent, Alexander will be a difference maker from the moment he steps on the field. His intelligence on the field is quite outstanding.

Will Hernandez is a great prospect who can get even better, specially at pass protection. The Titans add a very tough guy in the trenches. Excellent value.

Besides DT, is difficult to predict which direction Atlanta is heading with the 26th overall pick. In this scenario, Da’Ron Payne makes it there. A very good defensive tackle who can get after the QB is what Atlanta needs.

The Saints have a chance to add a dynamic pro-ready tight end to help Drew Brees’ offense find success during the QB’s final years in the NFL. Dallas Goedert may not come from a top school, but the traits are there to turn him into a great player at the next level.

Vander Esch is going to be good, there’s no question about that. What we don’t know is how long will it take him to develop? I struggle to see him as a first-round prospect, but he’ll probably won’t fall past the Steelers, who definitely need a LB.

The Jaguars are betting on Blake Bortles, which means it’s time to give him the most help they can. In this case, they find DJ Moore, who can be an “X” or a “Z” receiver. Moore at the 29th pick is a steal for the Jags.

The Vikings secondary is already good enough, but now they add even more talent in Josh Jackson, who has what it takes to become a very successful defender in press coverage.

It might be a little to early for Sam Hubbard, but the Patriots will be able to develop him into a very productive pass rusher, something they desperately need.

The Eagles could use a running back to give the offense a more threatening rushing attack and Derrius Guice is still on the board. If he’s able to stay healthy, Guice will be a very productive RB for the Super Bowl Champions.

The Cowboys address the WR situation in the second round by taking a guy who provides the offense with a deep threat. Washington needs to polish his route running, but he’s a weapon who will contribute from Day 1 in Dak Prescott’s offense.

(Mock Trade: The Bills send their #12, #22, #53 for the Giants’ #2 pick)

(Mock Trade: The Bills send their #12, #22, #53 for the Giants’ #2 pick)