Hey guys! Remember me? SoBro Bill? I used to talk about college football and stuff. We shared some great times. Me, rambling on about Power Rankings, rivalries, and betting on college while you read, learned, and laughed. Probably.
Anyway, I’m back baby! I’m here to be your definitive guide to the NFL Draft. You see, college football is my passion, and this is the last time I get to write about these guys before they move on to the pros. And as we all know, the professional setting is Stoney’s stomping grounds, so he’ll have dibs on them after Thursday night.
Until then, sit back, relax, and read along as I attempt to randomly guess how the Draft shakes out (besides the first two picks). This is a fascinating draft with countless possibilities starting with the third pick. We’ve already had two massive trades, with more potentially waiting in the wings. For the sake of this mock draft, I didn’t have any teams trade positions. As omniscient as I might be, even I can’t predict that. (Except maybe the Titans trading up for Ronnie Stanley.)
On to Bill’s Mock Draft!
1. Los Angeles – Jared Goff QB Cal. Jeff Fisher isn’t fooling anyone. We’re on to your game, Jeff. Goff is the pick.
2. Philadelphia – Carson Wentz QB North Dakota State. Process of elimination sends Wentz to the Eagles.
3. San Diego – Jalen Ramsey CB Florida State. The best player in the draft meets a huge need for the Chargers.
4. Dallas – Ezekiel Elliot RB Ohio State. With Ramsey going at 3, Dallas beefs up the run game to help out Tony Romo. First surprise of the draft.
5. Jacksonville – Joey Bosa DE Ohio State. Back to back for Ohio State. The Jags add a much needed pass rusher.
6. Baltimore – Laremy Tunsil OT Mississippi. The Ravens lose their minds, because Tunsil is still sitting here at 6.
7. San Francisco – DeForest Buckner DE Oregon. Chip Kelly adds a former Duck and immediate impact player.
8. Cleveland – Ronnie Stanley OT Notre Dame. Cleveland has a lot of picks, and they can’t pass on a solid OT.
9. Tampa Bay – Vernon Hargreaves CB Florida. Smart pick up here for an immediate play maker.
10. New York Giants – Myles Jack OLB UCLA. Health concerns aside, Jack is one of the best in the draft and will fit in well in New York.
11. Chicago – Leonard Floyd OLB Georgia. Floyd’s draft stock is on the rise, but I doubt he breaks the top 10.
12. New Orleans – Sheldon Rankins DT Louisville. The Saints need all kinds of help on defense. Rankins or Shaq Lawson could easily go here.
13. Miami – Shaq Lawson DE Clemson. An aging D Line could use the boost supplied by Lawson.
14. Oakland – Reggie Ragland ILB Alabama. A solid D Line needs a run stopping LB. Ragland fits.
15. Tennessee – Jack Conklin OT Michigan State. A much needed addition to help protect Marcus Mariota.
16. Detroit – Kevin Dodd DE Clemson. Losses at D for the Lions can be addressed with a solid pick up in Dodd.
17. Atlanta – Darron Lee OLB Ohio State. A speedy linebacker that fits the system.
18. Indianapolis – Taylor Decker OT Ohio State. Best available OT to help protect Andrew Luck.
19. Buffalo – Robert Nkemdiche DT Mississippi. Nkemdiche falls, but not out of the first round.
20. New York Jets – Paxton Lynch QB Memphis. Maybe not the best pick, but when you don’t have a definite QB, you have to find one somewhere.
21. Washington – A’Shawn Robinson DT Alabama. Much needed strength added to the defensive line.
22. Houston – Corey Coleman WR Baylor. Everyone get ready, about to be a WR frenzy starting here. Coleman, Treadwell, Doctson, and Fuller are interchangeable.
23. Minnesota – Laquon Treadwell WR Mississippi. See? Told you so. Teddy Bridgewater needs a target.
24. Cincinnati – Josh Doctson WR TCU. Two WR’s gone in free agency? Pick up the best available.
25. Pittsburgh – Eli Apple CB Ohio State. The Steelers need to address a weak secondary. Apple is the best on the board.
26. Seattle – Ryan Kelly C Alabama. Need to toughen up that line to protect Russell Wilson. Kelly is the best center in the draft and worth the pick here.
27. Green Bay – Jarran Reed DT Alabama. Back to back for Bama. Fits in the 3-4 system and fills a spot for B.J. Raji.
28. Kansas City – Will Fuller WR Notre Dame. Fuller is a steal at 28 and jumps straight into the rotation.
29. New England – Pick Forfeited for Deflategate. Wouldn’t it be a ballsy move to submit a pick anyway? Like “Tom Brady’s first 4 games.”
30. Arizona – Will Jackson CB Houston. Arizona could go QB or DT, but Will Jackson is still available.
31. Carolina – Mackensie Alexander CB Clemson. Josh Norman is gone, so someone needs to step in.
32. Denver – Connor Cook QB Michigan State. I know, I know. There are plenty of solid players left. Why not Noah Spence, Andrew Billings, or Karl Joseph? Simply put, Denver needs their QB of the future. Cook is worth a shot.
That’s it. I know I probably left out your favorite player. Honestly – I did it on purpose. Just to spite you. But thanks for reading and playing along. I changed that order probably 50 times, but I’m sticking here. We’ll find out Thursday night.
This was tougher than I thought. I’m going to bed.
Bill Griffin is the lead SEC contributor for the SoBros Network, and serves as our resident expert on the human anatomy, fixin’ stuff, and tomatoes. Follow him on Twitter @Winter_Griffin
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