NFL mock draft
Houston: Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M
Houston wants to trade this pick. It may be tempting to go for Clowney if they don’t, but they are more in need of a quarterback than anybody in this draft. It is a deep QB class, but they have to take one who can immediately make an impact, and I think that is Johnny football.
St. Louis: Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina
The Rams are in a position where they can draft based on talent. They already have stellar defensive ends in Robert Quinn and Chris Long, but Quinn can move to a three-technique and rush from the inside, which would actually still fill a need at interior line. If they don’t trade their pick, they won’t pass up Clowney.
Jacksonville: Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn
The Jaguars are in desperate need of offensive playmakers. However, even if they get them, it won’t matter with their current line. Robinson is the best offensive lineman in the draft. He is simply a freak. At 6-foot-5 and 332 pounds, Robinson ran 4.92 in the 40-yard dash combine. Jacksonville can start thinking of playmakers when they think of how to protect them.
Cleveland: Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville
Cleveland has set itself up to take a quarterback in the first round. Really, even with other blaring team needs, they don’t have another option. The only quarterbacks on their roster are Brian Hoyer and Alex Tanney. The Browns like Bridgewater and will be happy to hand the offense over to him.
Oakland: Jake Mathews, OT, Texas A&M
Oakland is notorious for unusual drafts, taking players too soon based on things like speed. It hasn’t worked for them, and now they have their quarterback in Matt Schaub and running back in Maurice Jones-Drew. Now they need someone to hold off defenses long enough to make these pieces effective. Mathews is that guy.
Atlanta: Khalil Mack, OLB, Buffalo
Atlanta sorely needs help on defense: It was the team’s biggest issue last season. Mack is one of the more exciting players in the draft and will solidify the Falcons’ defense both against the run and the mid-range passing game.
Tampa Bay: Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
Watkins is the best offensive playmaker in the draft who isn’t a quarterback and would make whoever is under center for the Buc’s life a whole lot easier. Tampa Bay would be thrilled to see such a threat drop to them.
Minnesota: QB, OG, S Blake Bortles, QB, Central Florida
The Vikings previous first-round quarterback, Christian Ponder, didn’t exactly pan out. Matt Cassel hasn’t exactly been their solution. Bortles is the safest pick at quarterback in this draft, and the Vikings can ease him in by having him rely on Adrian Peterson.
Buffalo: Anthony Barr, LB, UCLA
Barr would make Buffalo’s front seven a little scary, something nobody has really thought in a while. Though they could use some offensive help, I think that combining Barr with Mario Williams and Jerry Hughes is a good idea.
Detroit: CJ Mosley, LB, Alabama
In the past few years, the Lions have loved drafting defense. Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley and Ziggy Ansah were three of Detroit’s last four first-rounders. The Lions will continue that tradition and add to what is already a good run defense.
Tennessee: Darqueze Denard, CB, Michigan State
The Titans do need a running back, but they can get one later in the draft. Denard is a guy who can immediately make this team better defensively.
New York Giants: Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M
Eli Manning needs a guy who will fight for the 50-50 balls he throws up, and Evans can do that. Evans may have some character issues, but Coughlin is one of the coaches who can deal with that. He would go into an established offense that just had a rough season.
St. Louis: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama
The Rams got rid of Courtland Finnegan in the offseason, and Clinton-Dix would be a nice step up. Clinton-Dix is the best safety in the draft and would complete the few steps the Rams need to become a real playoff threat.
Chicago: Timmy Jernigan, DT, Florida State
The Bears are in need of some help defensively, particularly in their front seven. They did get Jarred Allen, but Jernigan would help plug things up in the middle for them.
Pittsburgh: Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State
The once great defense of the Pittsburgh Steelers is looking to get back on track. They need help in the secondary and would probably prefer Denard, but Gilbert is a nice fall-back for them.
Dallas: Kony Ealy, DE, Missouri
Dallas needs somebody to replace Demarcus Ware, and they think Ealy could be that guy. Ealy is 6-foot-4, 273 pounds and runs a 4.92 40 time and will give the Cowboys a threat off the edge.
Baltimore: Zack Martin, OT, Notre Dame
Baltimore needs a running game again, they sorely struggled in that department and a lot of that fell on the offensive line. I think they will use Martin to both protect Flacco and help out whoever is at running back.
New York Jets: Marqise Lee, WR, USC
The Jets have emphasized offensive weapons and speed this offseason. Chris Johnson, Michael Vick and Eric Decker. Marqise Lee fits in perfectly there.
Miami: Xavier Su’a-Filo, G, UCLA
The Dolphins biggest offensive need is on the line so they can start using their offensive weapons. Su’a-Filo is arguably the best guard in the draft and would really help the Dolphins.
Arizona: Calvin Pryor, S, Louisville
The Cardinals need a quarterback, but they could probably wait to get one later in the draft at this point. Derek Carr is a valid option here, but I think they address their need at safety.
Green Bay: Eric Ebron, TE, UNC
Ebron is the best tight end in the draft and the Packers could use a nice new toy for Aaron Rodgers. I think Rodgers to Ebron sounds pretty good to the Packers organization.
Philadelphia: Odell Beckham JR. LSU, WR
This is Chip Kelly. He likes speed and he likes playmakers, he is going to be jumping at the chance to add the athletic LSU wide receiver to his already explosive offense.
Kansas City: Brandon Cooks, WR, Oregon State
The Chiefs are hurting a little bit at receiver and a reliant slot receiver could really take some pressure off of Alex Smith and off of the running game.
Cincinnati: Dee Ford, DE, Auburn
Another athletic defensive SEC player and one that the Bengals could use. They might finally have a threat off the end.
San Diego: Louis Nix, DT, Notre Dame
San Diego is in a division where they will need to start stopping the run, with Jamaal Charles and Maurice Jones-Drew. Nix will go a long way in doing that.
Cleveland: David Yankey, G, Stanford
The Browns, having already adressed their need at quarterback, now will need to protect him. That’s where Yankey comes in handy for them.
New Orleans: Jason Verrett, CB, TCU
The Saints are constantly having a situation where their offense is a whole lot better than their defense. Verrett might help shorten that gap, especially in the secondary.
Carolina: Deone Bucannon, S, Washington State
Though Carolina really needs a receiver I don’t think at this point in the draft they will get any better value than later in the draft. The best value for what they need is in the defensive backfield, which is where Buchanan comes in.
New England: Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburg
New England knows that they need some defensive help, and a defensive tackle like Donald is invaluable in this position.
San Francisco: Travis Swanson, C, Arkansas
The 49’ers could complete their offensive line with Swanson, who is the best center in the draft. With Swanson their offensive lines would become one of the best in the league.
Denver: Lamarcus Joyner, CB, Florida State
The Broncos lost long time star Champ Bailey and while Joyner isn’t an exact replacement he will help fill that void.
Seattle: Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida State
Seattle lost their best receiver, Golden Tate, to free-agency this offseason. Benjamin is not the best receiver in the draft, but he definitely could be a threat that Russell Wilson won’t mind having on the field with him.
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