Personal Mock Draft with Trades
Hi all, I'm new to this community but I've loved the NFL draft for years and always like doing my own mock drafts. Here's my most recent one I did this morning (in a sort of "what I would do" framework):
LV - Fernando Mendoza. Obviously.
NYJ - Arvell Reese. I know there's smoke about Bailey being the safer pick for AG but I think Reese's character, upside, and flexibility makes him the pick here. He seems to fit the culture AG is trying to build.
TRADE KC - Francis Mauigoa. I feel like the recent draft trend is that top O-line prospects always go early, and KC can't afford to miss out on Mauigoa (who is a target for AZ at 3) or Fano (target for CLE at 6). They have to solidify the RT position with Mahomes coming back from injury and Taylor gone in free agency. AZ is the perfect trade partner because they want to trade back and KC can jump ahead of other O-line needy teams like CLE and potentially NYG, while AZ can recuperate a late top-10 pick and also a late first-round pick, which helps them with their O-line needs as well as their rumored interest in Ty Simpson. Unfortunately my tab refreshed before I could confirm the trade details here but I'm pretty sure it was #9 and #29 for #3 and a fourth round pick or something.
TEN - Jeremiyah Love. Obviously.
NYG - Sonny Styles. Maui being gone at 3 means this is down to Styles, Downs, or Tate imo, and I think Styles will have the biggest overall impact for the Giants' defense out of the three, so I went Styles here.
CLE - Spencer Fano. Tate is certainly tempting here but it won't matter if CLE has an improved receiving corps if their line can't protect their 2027 rookie QB.
WAS - David Bailey. I was so tempted to take Downs here but based purely on positional value, I think WAS would be foolish to pass up a stud pass rusher for a safety (regardless of how excellent Downs is as a prospect). Bailey has his run defense issues but his pass rushing will be a huge boost for this team.
NO - Mansoor Delane. I think this pick makes too much sense with Delane's scheme versatility and outstanding tape. A cornerstone CB for a team that's been looking for one since Lattimore fell off and was traded.
TRADE AZ - Kadyn Proctor. This one is for sure a reach based on consensus but I think AZ swings for upside here. They need a RT to bookend the line with Paris Johnson on the left side, and it makes sense to me to build the O-line up in front of whatever young QB they eventually bring in. I wish more teams would prioritize O-line before bringing in rookie QBs because I think having a strong O-line is so indispensable for QB development. I also didn't think the top prospects remaining on the board (Downs, Tate, Bain) were positions of need for AZ, so I went for talent/upside here at RT. AZ is building through the trenches!
NYG - Carnell Tate. I was torn between Tate and Downs; drafting both Styles and Downs in this draft would have been absolutely sick but I just don't think NYG can come out of this top 10 without at least one player who benefits Jaxson Dart, whether that's O-line or WR. NYG happily ends Tate's slide after he slipped past CLE, WAS, and NO.
MIA - Olaivavega Ioane. Guards are being drafted higher and higher each year (e.g., Tyler Booker to DAL) so I don't see this as a reach. MIA desperately needs O-line help for Willis/their 2027 rookie QB, and see my point about for AZ about my thoughts regarding O-line help for young QBs. Ioane is a stud guard and plug-and-play starter for MIA, who goes with the unsexy but necessary pick here.
DAL - Caleb Downs. DAL sprints this pick in; what a steal for the Cowboys.
LAR - Makai Lemon. Based on everything I've heard, Lemon is a great scheme and culture fit for what McVay wants from his WRs, and he'd bring low moving costs to the Rams. He's an excellent WR3 for this team and eventual replacement for Davante Adams.
BAL - Kenyon Sadiq. BAL needs to start thinking outside the box if they don't want to waste Lamar Jackson's career, and drafting such a talented pass-catching TE as Sadiq is a great start.
TB - Rueben Bain Jr. Another team that will sprint the pick in if Bain falls this far. I wasn't thinking of Bain falling here as a result of the story about his car accident, but more just down to the way the board fell and how teams ahead of TB wanted to draft. If Downs wasn't available at 12, I absolutely would have had DAL picking Bain there. But Downs went to DAL, so TB benefits.
NYJ - Omar Cooper Jr. Another perceived reach by many, I think Cooper's flexibility on offense will provide a great complement to Wilson's ability on the outside, and I think Cooper's intangibles will also be an asset to the team culture AG is trying to build. Cooper is also a "safer" pick than Tyson given the injury concerns, so if NYJ really is trying to play it safe this draft (e.g. Bailey over Reese), then maybe that comes into play here at 16 more than at 2.
DET - Blake Miller. Stud OT who is a plug-and-play replacement after losing Taylor Decker. I strongly considered EDGE here, too, but I think there will be plenty of intriguing EDGE prospects on Day 2 this year and not as many OTs, so I drafted accordingly.
MIN - Dillon Thieneman. Obviously.
CAR - Jordyn Tyson. CAR's GM recently talked about how it wouldn't be crazy to draft a WR in three straight first rounds, and given how Leggette hasn't exactly panned out, I think CAR makes sense as a team to end Tyson's slide. Plus, I didn't love the other prospects available on the board at this time; CAR's O-line and D-line are pretty decent, and it's too early to take a LB like CJ Allen or Jake Rodriguez.
TRADE MIA - Jermod McCoy. Rumors are that DAL is angling to trade out of #20, especially because they don't have a 2nd round pick this year. MIA is loaded with 3rd round picks and while they don't help DAL here with their lack of 2nd rounders, they do give picks 75 and 94 (I think--again I accidentally refreshed the tab before confirming trade details) along with pick 30 to move up to 20 and taking a fourth rounder in return. MIA has holes all over its secondary and McCoy is the CB2 in this draft, even with his injury and reportedly poor workout. Pick 20 seems like a safer place to pick a guy like McCoy than pick 11, and DAL gets its wish in moving back while reloading with some Day 2 draft capital. A good win-win trade.
PIT - Monroe Freeling. I can't explain it, but I just have this vibe that Freeling has "Pittsburgh Steeler" written all over him. See above for my thoughts on solidifying O-line before drafting a young QB. I also don't think PIT is looking to draft Ty Simpson here; if they didn't pull the trigger on Dart last year, why would they do differently this year with a worse prospect in Simpson? Much better to continue fixing the O-line and hope for the best in next year's draft.
LAC - Keldric Faulk. This one pains me as a massive Justin Herbert fan because I desperately want LAC to draft an OG to protect my sweet prince. But the value just isn't here at #22 for Bisontis or Pregnon, and I don't see guys like Iheanachor or Lomu transitioning from OT to OG. Plus, I didn't see any great win-win trade-back moves with the board as it is. Thus, LAC stands pat and takes Faulk as a massive D-lineman with a ton of upside, who can play all over their 3-4 defensive line. Not a bad pick all things considered.
PHI - Max Iheanachor. Howie loves drafting replacements for aging starters one year in advance, so here's the Jason Peters replacement. Iheanachor is dripping with upside but may need some time to learn behind a franchise legend before taking over as the full-time starter. I considered WR here given the rumors about AJ Brown but couldn't justify any of the WRs still on the board over Iheanachor. Again, my priority is to build/solidify through the trenches.
CLE - KC Concepcion. I favored Concepcion over Denzel Boston here because Concepcion seems to be the better RAC/YAC pass-catcher, which I think would help cover up for some of Sanders's deep ball/accuracy deficiencies, if he remains the starter past this year. If CLE reloads with a top QB prospect in 2027, then Concepcion is still a great safety blanket/underneath guy for that new QB.
CHI - Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. I've heard that CHI is obsessed with this guy and even though DT or even OT are potentially positions of need for them, I like CHI taking a swing on an uber-talented safety for a roster that needs one.
BUF - Denzel Boston. They sort of filled a WR need by trading for DJ Moore, but they could still use a gigantic red zone target for Josh Allen. Enter Denzel Boston. BUF has to figure out its offensive shortcomings or it risks wasting Allen's career.
SF - Caleb Lomu. With Concepcion and Boston off the board, I didn't love any WRs still available. I considered Mesidor, who has somehow fallen to this stage in the first round, but I couldn't justify taking a 25-year-old EDGE3, especially after just drafting Mykel Williams in the first round last year. Thus, it made sense to me to continue fortifying the O-line (build through the trenches, especially in the first round!) and simultaneously draft a potential Trent Williams replacement in the long run.
HOU - Chase Bisontis. Again, a bit of a reach on consensus here, but HOU has more work to do rebuilding its O-line, which it absolutely must do if it wants Stroud to succeed. HOU's done well building up its OT spots with Trent Brown and Aireonte Ersery, but it's interior O-line still needs help, and Bisontis provides solid protection as well as low-moving costs. I also justify this pick by looking at value later in the draft for other positions of need, like DT or RB--I think both needs can be addressed by good prospects on Day 2, but I'm less convinced that a guard as solid as Bisontis will still be on the board by then. Note that I did strongly consider DT Peter Woods here.
TRADE AZ - Ty Simpson. Rumors are that AZ is really intrigued by Simpson, and I don't think this is egregious value: it allows AZ to leapfrog NYJ at #33, it gives AZ flexibility by unlocking a 5th year option for Simpson, if he ends up being decent, and AZ was able to address its more pressing need at RT at pick 9. Plus, for whatever it's worth, Simpson and Proctor have some chemistry together from their time playing at Alabama. I don't love Simpson as a prospect but for a QB needy team like AZ, I think this value makes sense for them, especially if they can figure out a deal with Brissett so Simpson doesn't have to start right away.
TRADE DAL - Akheem Mesidor. DAL's trade with MIA worked out absolutely perfectly for them, as they get to take advantage of a giant slide for Mesidor. It's no secret that DAL is angling for an EDGE in this draft (Faulk at #20?), so them snapping up Downs at 12 and then Mesidor at 30 is incredible value. I'm not a Cowboys fan so this hurts a bit to see them succeed so well, but this is just how the board fell for me. I like Mesidor as a prospect but I just couldn't find a home for him before this pick. Outstanding fortune for DAL.
NE - Zion Young. Young has some first round hype and the end of round 1 isn't egregious value for him. NE needs some explosiveness on the edge and I think Young can provide that for them with his size and tape. I think this is a good swing for NE's defense at a position of need, and I like him better than other edges on the board like Parker or Howell.
SEA - Colton Hood. CB2 is a need for SEA after letting Bryant and Woolen go, and Hood is a versatile, do-it-all DB who thrived when thrust into CB1 duties after McCoy went down at Tennessee. Hood has decent size and I think he'd fit well in SEA's secondary.
Those are my thoughts! Excited to hear your reactions.