1. Cleveland Browns, Louisville QB Lamar Jackson:
As we all know, Cleveland selected Baker Mayfield in the 2018 NFL Draft. That wasn’t an awful pick, but Lamar has just had more success with less weapons. Jackson has made the Pro Bowl and has won an MVP; now give him Odell, Jarvis Landry and Austin Hooper with a stacked backfield and the league is doomed.
2. New York Giants, Wyoming QB Josh Allen:
It really was a toss up between Allen and Jackson for who went number one, but Jackson’s MVP trophy prevailed. Allen is one of the best dual threat QBs in the league as he has a monster arm to go with great power when he runs. I’m not too sure how successful he’d be in a poor Giants scheme, but his talent alone could them NFC East contenders.
3. New York Jets, Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield:
Baker is still a good quarterback if you ask me. He helped a dismal Cleveland team get out of a two season long skid and he could do the same with the 2018 Jets with Robby Anderson (who isn’t a huge Baker fan) and Isaiah Crowell.
4. Cleveland Browns, Louisville CB Jaire Alexander:
Originally Cleveland selected Denzel Ward, but Alexander has been slightly better over his career than Ward. Since entering the league, he’s made 5 interceptions and broken up 44 passes. Grabbing Lamar and Alexander with these picks are huge for the trajectory of Cleveland’s future.
5. Denver Broncos, South Carolina State LB Darius Leonard:
Leonard has been more than efficient since entering the league. He won 2018 Defensive Rookie of the Year, has made 4 All Pro Teams, and 3 Pro Bowl Teams. This just shows how great the Colts drafted in 2018 by grabbing an All Pro linebacker and an All Pro guard.
6. Indianapolis Colts, Notre Dame G Quenton Nelson:
NO CHANGE.
7. Buffalo Bills, Ohio State CB Denzel Ward:
While I think Alexander is the best corner in the draft, Ward is a close second. He’s intercepted 10 passes and broke up 50 on his way to two Pro Bowls. Adding him to a secondary with Tre White, Jordan Poyer, and Micah Hyde would be menacing.
8. Chicago Bears: Alabama S Minkah Fitzpatrick:
The Bears drafted Eddie Jackson in 2017, now adding Minkah makes them the scariest safety tandem in the NFL. Minkah has been a 2 time All Pro player and since coming into the league in 2018 has picked off 13 passes and recovered 5 fumbles.
9. San Francisco 49ers: BYU LB Fred Warner:
San Francisco took Warner in the third round of this draft, but he’s way too good of a player to not grab here. Warner has solidified himself as one of the leagues best tacklers, making over 115 in each of the 4 seasons he’s played. The 49ers are thrilled to keep Warner in red and gold.
10. Arizona Cardinals: Penn State RB Saquon Barkley:
While Saquon’s career hasn’t been as fruitful as many expected, he’s still a very good back. He was named 2018 Rookie of the Year and as long as he stays healthy, he is a weapon in both the run game and pass game. Major upgrade in the Cards backfield by taking Barkley.
11. Miami Dolphins: Florida State S Derwin James:
Going into this draft, the Dolphins had their minds set on a safety; that’s why they drafted Minkah Fitzpatrick but the Bears scooped him up in this redraft. Derwin James hits like a train and with a 6’2 frame is a demon in coverage. He’ll be a nice fit in the Fins defensive scheme.
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: North Carolina State DE Bradley Chubb:
Bradley Chubb is a very solid player that I only have falling out of the top ten because of how stacked this class was. In his four career seasons, Chubb has 20.5 career sacks, 12.5 his rookie year, and has forced 4 fumbles. Tampa gets a gem of a player here at 12.
13. Washington Commanders: Alabama DT Da’Ron Payne:
NO CHANGE.
14. New Orleans Saints: Arkansas C Frank Ragnow:
The Saints ended up drafting Erik McCoy in the 2019 Draft, but if they can grab Ragnow here instead, it’d be a major upgrade to the center position. Ragnows made one All Pro team and hasn’t missed a game since entering the league.
15. Las Vegas Raiders: Oklahoma OT Orlando Brown Jr.:
The Raiders originally drafted an offensive tackle in Kolton Miller who is really turning a corner in his career; but Brown is an all around better player. Since entering the league, Brown has allowed 10 sacks while Miller has allowed a whooping 29. Brown also offers more versatility being able to play both left or right tackle.
16. Buffalo Bills: Georgia RB Nick Chubb:
Buffalo has never really had a consistent running back and grabbing Chubb at 16 gives them a player that has gone for over 1,000 yards in the past three seasons. Originally Buffalo took Tremaine Edmunds who has been a spark plug linebacker on their defense the past few seasons, but having the chance to get a franchise running back is too good to pass up.
17. Los Angeles Chargers: Alabama WR Calvin Ridley:
It’s always good to have more weapons and with Derwin James off the board, Ridley is a great fit on offense. Put him alongside Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Hunter Henry and the Chargers offense will be absolutely electric.
18. Green Bay Packers: Maryland WR D.J. Moore:
Green Bay getting Moore feels almost too good to be true because it seems like the Packers hate getting help for Rodgers. Adding him with Davante Adams is something that I’d hate to see as a Vikings fan. D.J. Moore is a shifty route runner with great hands; someone that Rodgers would fall in love with.
19. Dallas Cowboys: Oklahoma TE Mark Andrews:
Mark Andrews is one of the leagues best tight ends and since the departure of Jason Witten, they haven’t really filled that void. Andrews is fabulous in the run game and has a large catch radius making him an asset to Dallas’s offense. Dak would be drooling to work with this play maker.
20. Detroit Lions: Virginia Tech G Wyatt Teller:
Wyatt Teller never really broke out until he was traded to Cleveland, but in this scenario, I could see Teller breaking out almost immediately for the Lions. He’s a powerful run blocker with quick feet in the pass game; there are little to no flaws in his game. Teller has made 2 All Pro teams in 2020 and 2021.
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Washington DT Vita Vea:
Vea is strong, quick, and a monster in the middle. Putting him next to a legend like Geno Atkins so he can learn and develop into a true run stuffer that can rush the passer is vital for Cincinnati to succeed. Vea can also double as the Bengals goal line fullback. Just food for thought.
22. Tennessee Titans: SMU WR Courtland Sutton:
Tennessee has swung and missed on wideouts in Corey Davis, Tajae Sharp, and Dorial Green-Beckham, but Sutton isn’t a miss. Sutton has 3 seasons over 700 receiving yards and would be a nice tandem piece to the Titans prolific run game.
23. New England Patriots: Notre Dame OT Mike McGlinchey:
New England picked Isaiah Wynn in this at 31, but with a player as talented as McGlinchey available, taking him is a must. He’s an absolute giant that is very athletic for his size. Preventing players from touching Tom Brady is priority number one and McGlinchey can get the job done.
24. Carolina Panthers: Texas A&M WR Christian Kirk:
Carolina originally selected D.J. Moore who was a home run player; with him off the board, receiver is still a need. Christian Kirk has 3 seasons over 600 yards but has not yet broken that 1,000 yard thresh hold. He’s obviously not Moore, but he’ll be an above average weapon for Cam Newton to get the rock to.
25. Baltimore Ravens: Pittsburgh OT Brian O’Neill:
Brian O’Neill is consistently one of the best right tackles in the NFL, and with Vegas taking Orlando Brown (who they originally picked in the third round) off the board, they are in need of a tackle. O’Neill has a career PFF grade of 71.2% and has only allowed 5 sacks in 4 years.
26. Atlanta Falcons: Georgia LB Roquan Smith:
Keeping the Bulldog in Georgia. Smith is a hard hitting linebacker that covers from sideline to sideline bringing the pain on every play. The Georgia alum has had 4 seasons over 100 tackles and 2 of them over 135; he’s a God damn machine.
27. Seattle Seahawks: UCLA OT Kolton Miller:
The Seahawks have never had a good, or even average offensive line unit to protect Russell Wilson; drafting Miller will at least be a step in the right direction to changing that. Miller allowed a lot of sacks at the starts of his career, but has really cut down on that and improved greatly in pass protection.
28. Pittsburgh Steelers: Virginia Tech LB Tremaine Edmunds:
Almost no change with this pick. The Steelers took safety Terrell Edmunds with the 28th pick originally, but his brother Tremaine has seen more success in the NFL. He’s made over 105 tackles since entering the league to go with 28 pass breakups. Adding him to a solid Pittsburgh defense gives them a true captain in the middle.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars: Boston College OLB Harold Landry:
Harold Landry has turned into one of the NFLs most underrated pass rushers as he’s tallied 31 sacks in 4 years. He’s got heavy hands and is very elastic being able to bend the edge in an elite manner. This addition makes the Jacksonville pass rush noteworthy.
30. Minnesota Vikings: Wake Forest S Jessie Bates:
With the Vikings original pick, Brian O’Neill, off the board, they now have to address other needs. The Vikings already have a great safety in Harrison Smith, but putting Jessie Bates next to him would create a ball hawking tandem that quarterbacks would hate to face. Bates is strong in the run game and could be a big time player immediately.
31. New England Patriots: Colorado RB Phillip Lindsay:
The Pats took a running back here at 31 originally in Sony Michel, so now I think they should get a better one. While Phillip Lindsay has bounced around the NFL, he’s still a very efficient back that would thrive in the Pats play action system behind a beefy offensive line.
32. Baltimore Ravens: Penn State TE Mike Gesicki:
Baltimore landed two tight end gems in this draft in Hurst and Andrews, but with Andrews off the board, taking Mike Gesicki is the best move. Gesicki is a 6’6 big bodied pass catcher that has gone for 550 yards in the past three seasons. Getting O’Neill and Gesicki definitely isn’t Orlando Brown, Mark Andrews, Hayden Hurst, and Lamar, but it’s pretty good.
