32. Green Bay Packers: RB Damien Harris (Alabama)
Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams are both underwhelming. Green Bay needs a standout rusher in order to help Aaron Rodgers better balance the offense. Harris has been Alabama’s top rusher for the past few seasons. Unlike other overworked running backs, Harris split time with a plethora of other backs. As such, he doesn’t have the same sort of wear and tear on his body. He’d be a nice boon for the Packers at the end of Round 1.
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31. Kansas City Chiefs: DB DeAndre Baker (Georgia)
The Chiefs’ secondary has been shredded all season long. Baker would instantly provide an upgrade at one of the corner spots. He’s been battle-tested in the vaunted SEC. Baker’s instinctual prowess can be amplified further by the fact he broke up nine passes this past season. Kansas City would undoubtedly love to bring Baker into the fold.
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30. Los Angeles Rams: DB Julian Love (Notre Dame)
Aqib Talib is old and injury prone, and Marcus Peters hasn’t exactly been a shining example of consistency. Both are slated to be free agents after next season. The Rams would be smart to land a player of Love’s caliber. He’s a perfect fit to play the nickel in the Rams’ base defense. Love is exceptionally quick — thus enabling him to cover slot receivers. He’s also proven over his collegiate career to be a very competitive player. While some corners may be more innately gifted, Love’s pedigree helps him win out here as the Rams’ choice.
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29. New England Patriots: S Taylor Rapp (Washington)
Both of New England’s starting safeties (Patrick Chung, Devin McCourty) are over the age of 30. Rapp fits the bill tremendously in a number of ways. For one, he’s a highly intelligent player. He played at a program (Washington) most recently known for its secondary play. Rapp is a violent hitter, and isn’t afraid to crash down on run plays. Most impressively, he plays the game extremely hard. All of these traits likely would be appealing to Belichick and the Pats.
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28. Los Angeles Chargers: DT Dre’Mont Jones (Ohio State)
The Chargers are facing the possibility of replacing longtime pro Brandon Mebane within the interior of their defensive line. Mebane is 34 years of age, and certainly isn’t the player he once was. Jones would be a fantastic replacement. As we saw in the Rose Bowl, Jones is excellent in using his hands to disengage blockers. He’s a high-level athlete, and has the frame to add additional weight. Jones would mesh very well up front with the likes of Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa.
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27. Oakland Raiders (via Dallas): TE Noah Fant (Iowa)
Oakland’s best receiver a year ago was arguably 31-year-old tight end Jared Cook. With Cook out the door in free agency, Derek Carr certainly does need some weapons to work with. Fant was widely regarded as the top tight end in this year’s class. He’s athletic, has good hands, and most certainly can block on the line of scrimmage. Fant also comes from Iowa — a program known for development and top-notch coaching.
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26. Indianapolis Colts: DB Amani Oruwariye (Penn St.)
It’s clear that the Colts’ biggest issues defensively stemmed from their secondary. The unit is in need of an upgrade both depth wise and also in terms of talent. At 6-foot-1, Oruwariye is a big corner. He fits the mold of the modern day defensive back. With long arms and above-average speed, the Penn State product would be a great get here for the Colts.
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25. Philadelphia Eagles: OL Cody Ford (Oklahoma)
Brandon Brooks suffered a gruesome Achilles in the playoff loss to the Saints. Though Brooks is a fantastic player, there’s no telling how he’ll be once he’s fully rehabilitated. Ford — an All-Big 12 selection — can play at both tackle and guard. He’s expected to slot inside on the next level. Even if Brooks returns to full health, Ford will at the very worst offer the team a big upgrade from a depth standpoint. He’s got Pro Bowl potential when it comes to his combination of size and athletic ability.
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24. Oakland Raiders (via Chicago): DL Dexter Lawrence (Clemson)
Let’s face it, Oakland needs help everywhere. There are a multitude of players that could be picked with this selection. Lawrence is our guy for a number of reasons. One, he’s the most talented player at this point in the draft. Oakland’s defense is a mess, and Lawrence is easily the best run-stuffing nose tackle in the draft. Had he not been suspended for the College Football Playoffs over a failed PED test, Lawrence likely would’ve gone in the top-15. From that standpoint, the Raiders are getting a Dontari Poe clone — as well as great overall value late in the first round.
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23. Houston Texans: WR A.J. Brown (Ole Miss)
Deshaun Watson could always use another receiver. Brown’s inclusion would ideally help to take pressure off of DeAndre Hopkins. Even if Hopkins faces double and sometimes triple teams, it would leave Brown in advantageous one-on-one matchups. We also don’t know how Will Fuller will be post-ACL surgery. As such, Brown would be a nice pickup here. He led Ole Miss this past year with 1,320 receiving yards and 85 receptions.
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22. Baltimore Ravens: LB Mack Wilson (Alabama)
C.J. Mosley is currently an unrestricted free agent. There’s no guarantee the Ravens will be able to bring him back into the fold — particularly since the team appears leery on applying the franchise tag (which would cost more than $15 million). Should Mosley leave, Baltimore can replace him with another Alabama linebacker in Mack Wilson. Wilson hits like a Mack truck, and plays quite well in space. He’d be a perfect fit with the defensive-minded Ravens.
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21. Seattle Seahawks: WR N’Keal Harry (Arizona State)
Seattle is relatively stacked at the receiver position. Doug Baldwin is as reliable as they come, and Tyler Lockett broke out this past year as a viable No. 2 option. However, the Seahawks don’t have a bigger receiver for Russell Wilson to utilize. Harry is arguably the most talented receiver in the draft. He’s got tremendous size, big hands, and load of natural ability. Plus…he attended a Pac-12 school — something Pete Carroll loves. He doesn’t fit a need, per se. However, Seattle will take the best player available.
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20. Pittsburgh Steelers: OL Dalton Risner (Kansas State)
Risner can play both inside and outside. A nasty finisher in the run game, Risner is also athletic enough to get to the second level on any pull play. In terms of comparison, he’s quite similar to former KSU OL Cody Whitehair. When it comes to Pittsburgh, Risner can plug in at a number of spots. Both Marcus Gilbert (RT) and Ramon Foster (LG) are in their 30’s. He should immediately contend for all-rookie honors.
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19. Tennessee Titans: LB Jachai Polite (Florida)
Tennessee was in the middle of the pack when it came to overall sacks. While Harold Landry has some promise, the team is in need of another guy capable of getting after the quarterback off the edge. Polite had 11.0 sacks and a school record six forced fumbles this past year for the Gators. The outside ‘backer will contribute immediately in obvious passing situations. Polite is at his best when he can pin his ears back and run at opposing quarterbacks.
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18. Minnesota Vikings: OT Greg Little (Ole Miss)
Both of Minnesota’s starting tackles are over the age of 30. It makes sense for the Vikings to try and retool their offensive line — particularly when Chicago is flush with a plethora of ridiculous pass rushing options. A highly-touted prospect out of high school, Little fits the bill as a swing tackle with versatility on either side of the line. He’s rather nimble for his size, and does have some power capabilities in the run game. At the very worst, he’d be Minnesota’s top reserve at either tackle spot right off the bat.
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17. Cleveland Browns: DT Christian Wilkins (Clemson)
The Browns have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL. They can afford to be a bit choosy with their pick at this spot in the draft. Wilkins is a load on the interior of the defensive line. He’s quite good when bull-rushing opposing guards/centers. Wilkins also uses his hands well in order to disengage from blockers. This allows for him to rush the passers with much effectiveness. Wilkins would most certainly push Trevon Coley for the starting NG gig.
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16. Carolina Panthers: OT Jonah Williams (Alabama)
Williams started the season as a potential top-five pick, but faltered somewhat down the stretch (particularly versus Clemson). Williams is athletic enough to play at left tackle, though it appears as if he’s better suited to play on the right. Carolina would be doing cartwheels if Williams fell to them at this point in the draft. The Panthers could even play around with the idea of moving Williams inside.
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15. Washington Redskins: WR D.K. Metcalf (Ole Miss)
With Alex Smith’s leg in shambles, Washington could opt to trade up in the draft for a signal-caller. If they stand pat, D.K. Metcalf is an attractive option. The Ole Miss product is 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, and is projected to run a sub-4.5 40 time. There’s no denying Metcalf’s upside or potential. However, injuries have cut two of his seasons short during his time in Oxford. He’s also very raw when it comes to the nuances of the position (such as route-running). Metcalf may be one of the biggest boom-or-bust selections in the first round.
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14. Atlanta Falcons: DL Rashan Gary (Michigan)
Gary has all the talent in the world to be a dominant lineman. The problem is, he never quite put it together during his time in Michigan. We’d see glimpses of a future all-pro. Then again, we’d also see a player clearly taking plays off. It’ll be up to the right coach to extract all of Gary’s immense talent. He’s a freak athlete — and could prove to be the biggest steal in the draft.
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13. Miami Dolphins: DB Greedy Williams (LSU)
At this point in the draft, Miami should be looking at nabbing the player with the most talent. Greedy Williams fits the bill quite well in this capacity. The LSU corner is excellent when it comes to flipping his hips in coverage. His short-area quickness is phenomenal — as is Williams’ overall athletic ability. He must get more polished in playing the position. There are times where he reaches as opposed to letting his speed take over. If coached up properly, you’re looking at a future multi-time Pro Bowler.
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12. Green Bay Packers: LB/DE Brian Burns (Florida State)
It’s no secret that Green Bay is in dire need of a legitimate pass rusher. Long gone are the days where Clay Matthews and his cascading blonde locks were terrorizing opposing quarterbacks. The Packers would do well to nab Burns at this spot. A long and dynamic athlete, Burns is one of the fastest-rising prospects in this draft. There’s still some development needing to take place. With that said, the sky’s the limit in regards to Burns’ potential.
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11. Cincinnati Bengals: DL Ed Oliver (Houston)
Oliver is one of the most talented players in this draft. However, he falls due to some concerns with his attitude. When motivated, Oliver is a potentially elite player. He’s not the biggest defensive lineman. However, concerns over size are mitigated by abnormal quickness. Oliver can play anywhere on the line — and should be freed up to operate without the constant presence of double and triple teams (as was the case in college). Geno Atkins is already north of 30, and as we’ve seen year after year, a team can’t have enough quality depth along the defensive front.
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10. Denver Broncos: QB Drew Lock (Missouri)
Case Keenum hasn’t really worked out. Paxton Lynch most certainly didn’t work out. Chad Kelly had a brief moment of promise before getting a bit too caught up with Halloween, and Trevor Siemian is nothing more than a third-string clipboard holder. Ultimately, the Broncos haven’t been able to find a capable replacement since Peyton Manning led them to a Super Bowl. Lock might be John Elway’s guy — in large part because he’s got a big arm. Lock is able to drive the ball downfield with relative ease. The Broncos haven’t had this sort of player at the position since potentially Elway in the late ’90s.
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9. Buffalo Bills: OL Jawaan Taylor (Florida)
Buffalo needs help at both guard and tackle. This is where Taylor comes in. A mammoth of a man (6-foot-5, 328 pounds), Taylor has the versatility to fill in at either spot. The Bills appear to need more help inside — and fortifying the offensive front for its young quarterback (Josh Allen) isn’t a bad idea. Don’t be completely shocked if the Bills opt for a receiver (like D.K. Metcalf).
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8. Detroit Lions: LB Devin White (LSU)
Detroit is in need of a difference maker within its front seven. Ed Oliver could potentially be the move here. However, White is as safe a prospect as there is in this draft. He’s big, fast, and highly physical. White loves creating contact at the line of scrimmage. When asked to drop in coverage and trail a tight end over the heart of the field, he can do that as well. Detroit would be quite happy to pair former first-round pick Jarrad Davis with the likes of White. The Lions — who gave up the second-most runs of 40+ yards — would also benefit from White’s ability to stop the run.
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7. Jacksonville Jaguars: QB Daniel Jones (Duke)
Jones has suddenly become a trendy name as the draft draws closer. The Duke quarterback checks a lot of the boxes Tom Coughlin looks for (particularly as Jones pertains to a west coast offense). His TD:INT ratio is solid — as was his completion percentage (60.1). Jones doesn’t have supreme arm strength, nor is he a huge threat to run the football. However, he’s an exceptionally polished player with high football I.Q. David Cutcliffe — a QB guru of sorts — aided in developing Jones into a legitimate pro prospect. While he might not be the flashiest player, he could provide Jacksonville with some much-needed consistency.
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6. New York Giants: QB Dwayne Haskins (Ohio State)
This is where the draft gets interesting. It wouldn’t be a shock to see the Giants trade up for a signal-caller to pair with the talented trio of Odell Beckham Jr., Saquon Barkley, and Evan Engram all in the existing skill position stable. Haskins is by all accounts the top signal-caller in this draft. From a skill-set standpoint, he’s got a little bit of Ben Roethlisberger to him. He can make most of the throws, is highly accurate, and is more athletic than given credit for. Haskins would be a nice fit for a franchise in desperate need of a recharge at the quarterback position.
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5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: DB Byron Murphy (Washington)
Tampa Bay allowed more passing yards than any other team in the NFL this past season. 35-year-old Brent Grimes simply won’t cut it anymore. Former first-round pick Vernon Hargreaves also hasn’t really lived up to expectations, either. In a division featuring Cam Newton, Drew Brees and Matt Ryan, there’s no question Tampa Bay needs to upgrade its secondary. Murphy comes from a great developmental program. He’s tough, intuitive, and ready to make an impact right away.
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4. Oakland Raiders: DE Clelin Ferrell (Clemson)
To put it into perspective, Oakland’s entire team combined for 13.0 sacks this past year — good for dead-last in the NFL. The next-worst mark was 30.0 sacks (by both New England and the New York Giants). Simply put, this anemic pass rush needs a jolt…and fast. Ferrell is one of the most gifted edge players in the draft. As he demonstrated over the last two years, Ferrell can be quite disruptive in opposing backfields. Oakland would do very well to nab him here.
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3. New York Jets: LB/DE Josh Allen (Kentucky)
The New York Jets ranked towards the bottom in the NFL when it came to sacks on the season (39.0). While new head coach Adam Gase is more offensively inclined, it does makes sense for the Jets to go get a pass rusher to pair alongside Leonard Williams. Allen is a freaky athlete — boasting skills as a pass rusher and someone who can drop in coverage. He looks like the perfect hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.
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2. San Francisco 49ers: DL Quinnen Williams (Alabama)
San Francisco is sitting pretty with the No. 2 selection. The 49ers already have a quarterback, and there are several quarterback-starved teams behind them. This sets up perfectly for SF to be the pivot point in the first round. IF they hold onto the pick, it’ll be Quinnen Williams. While defensive line isn’t a must-need spot, Williams is the best player remaining. Ultimately, we do see San Francisco flipping this pick in order to pick up additional picks.
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1. Arizona Cardinals: DE Nick Bosa (Ohio State)
The Bosa to Arizona rumbling is arguably the worst kept secret in all of football. Arizona needs a bona fide pass rusher, and Bosa is easily the best one in this draft. Strong and quick, he’s eerily similar to his older brother, Joey. While the younger Bosa didn’t play much in 2018-19, many theorize that he was just resting up for the draft — and thus wanted to avoid injury. He’ll be the disruptive force the Cards desperately need up front.
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