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Hey guys, still working on my Mock. Got Round one complete. Let's see if I can get an award from Tiger!
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1. Houston Texans |
| QBp Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M | |
| I'm not buying the assumption that Houston is entertaining anything other than a quarterback at number one. They lost last year not only because of poor quarterbacking, but poor leadership. The did not go 2-14 last year because of a lack of defensive playmakers. I would be shocked if Houston does anything but take a quarterback they feel is a strong leader for the team, and think they would regret that decision for years. |
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2. St. Louis Rams (from WAS) |
| WRf Sammy Watkins, Clemson | |
| While most seem to think the Rams would go with an offensive tackle or Clowney, I think it's clear that a true dominating number one receiver is what's missing the most on this team. The Rams line was still OK after Jake Long went down last year and his career is not over. St. Louis will be fine at OT and they have too much money tied up in Jake Long to reboot the position. Watkinsis the clear number one receiver available in the draft. Jeff Fisher would like to drop down and still get Watkins, but he lost out on the player he really wanted when he moved down in the 2012 draft and likely won't try to get too cute again. A possibility of a trade up from Cleveland exists, but two firsts and a fourth is a price the Browns might flinch at to move up two spots. |
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3. Jacksonville Jaguars |
| QBp Derek Carr, Fresno State | |
| Gus Bradley has been trying to mask his giddyness about Carr since the Senior Bowl. Carr worked alongside Jimmy Garoppolo and David Fales under Bradley's eye that week and he clearly outshined all the QBs at the game. The Jags' staff went so far as to feed the NFL Networks' sideline reporter what I believe to be a fake playcall of a deep pass, then had Carr throw a WR screen (which had been a point of criticism all week on the Senior Bowl coverage). If Cleveland trades ahead of Jacksonville to select Carr, I believe the Jags will nab Teddy Bridgewater at 3, but like I said above I believe Cleveland will balk at the Rams' asking price. Jacksonville would like to move down and take Carr, but Carr has been linked too much to both Cleveland and Oakland for them to consider it. |
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4. Cleveland Browns |
| QBm Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville | |
| While it may seem difficult for the Browns to take Teddy Bridgewater after his comments about having difficulty throwing a "cold ball", Bridgewater does display what GM Ray Farmer has said he values most in QBs, what they see and how they react in the five seconds leading up to the snap and what they see and how they react in the two and a half seconds after. While Carr and/or Manziel may be higher on their list, they are gone in this scenario. Bridgewater does fit the bill of a smart quarterback who can complete passes from the pocket and rolling out, a necessity for the reinstallation of a West Coast Offense in Cleveland. As the last top-tier QB available to start sooner rather than later, Cleveland plays it safe and snags Bridgewater despite Atlanta's offer to move up. |
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5. Oakland Raiders |
| RE Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina | |
| Despite Oakland's needs at QB and WR, Clowney is just too good to pass up at this point. Justin Tuck hasn't been as effective in recent years and could even slide back inside to UT like his early days in New York, and LaMarr Woodley hasn't played defensive end since his days at Michigan. If Carr or Bridgewater were available, they may take one of them here, but reports are they are not interested in Blake Bortles and Watkins is already off the board. |
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6. Minnesota Vikings (from ATL) |
| QBp Blake Bortles, UCF | |
| TRADE: MIN #8 and #72 for ATL #6 and ATL #147. Minnesota moves up to make sure they snag Blake Bortles ahead of Tampa Bay. They must come away with a new starting quarterback, and the idea of pounding teams with the combination of Bortles and Peterson is easy for football fans to get excited about. The Vikings have an extra third this year from Seattle, so it's easy for them to part with this pick to upgrade over Christian Ponder and Matt Cassell. |
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7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| SLB Khalil Mack, Buffalo | |
| Tampa needs a bevy of wide receivers, but the opportunity to snag Mack with All-Pro Lavonte David and stalwart Mason Foster is too good for them to pass up. At this point, none of the receivers or quarterbacks seem worth the pick and Mack to many observers would be the best player available. |
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8. Atlanta Falcons (from MIN) |
| RT Jake Matthews, Texas A&M | |
| After losing out on Clowney, Atlanta moves back and grabs an extra third round pick while still snagging the best offensive tackle in the draft. Some might have Atlanta stay put and grab the next available pass rusher, but I think this move, collecting more ammo to move back up for a pass rusher, is the better play. |
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