NFL mock draft with twist
USA TODAY makes trades, picks
USA TODAY’s Nate Davis delves deep into the trade market with suggestions as part of his first-round NFL mock draft.
1. Browns — Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming: Yup, the latest buzz links Allen and his ballistic arm to Cleveland. But before you dismiss the notion, consider that new Browns general manager John Dorsey traded up last year, when he was running the board in Kansas City, to select Patrick Mahomes, who, like Allen, probably had the biggest fastball and most upside — and risk — of any incoming passer. And even though arm strength remains a dubious trait when forecasting NFL success, it’s definitely a nice attribute for quarterbacks who play in the AFC North’s cold and windy climes. Like Mahomes, Allen would also reap the benefits of joining an up-andcoming roster while sitting behind a veteran, Tyrod Taylor in this case.
2. PROPOSED TRADE: Bills (from Giants) — Sam Darnold, QB, Southern California: Let’s have some fun. Buffalo didn’t believe in Taylor and certainly didn’t invest in AJ McCarron at a level that would suggest team brass thinks he is their guy. But with Darnold, widely regarded as the best overall quarterback in the draft, on the board in our scenario, GM Brandon Beane has to complete his systematic trek to the top of the board to get the long-awaited successor to Jim Kelly. But this won’t come cheaply given the price the Jets already paid (three second-rounders) to move up three pegs. Giants GM Dave Gettleman could reasonably expect Beane to fork over the 12th and 22nd picks of this draft and next year’s first-rounder.
3. Jets (from Colts) — Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA: Had he not been born in
1943, Joe Namath might have been a Millennial right out of central casting. So don’t expect GM Mike Maccagnan to flinch at taking Rosen — no matter how much former Bruins coach Jim Mora elaborates/equivocates about him.
4. Browns (from Texans) — Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State: Dorsey will owe the football gods quite an offering if he winds up with the quarterback of his choice and Barkley, who’s almost universally regarded as the best player and perhaps the perfect guy to relieve pressure on a sidekick such as Allen.
5. Broncos — Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State: Denver let perennial Pro Bowler Aqib Talib go and might lose Bradley Roby to free agency next year. Cover corners grow on trees in Columbus, Ohio, and Ward is capable of stepping into Talib’s shoes and keeping the No Fly Zone devoid of enemy TD passes.
6. Colts (from Jets) — Bradley Chubb, DE, North Carolina State: Though GM Chris Ballard surely remains open for business as he rebuilds the foundation around Andrew Luck, he’ll be hard pressed to bypass a pass rusher ( and relentless run stopper) of Chubb’s caliber.
7. PROPOSED TRADE Giants (from Buccaneers) — Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame: Gettleman strikes again. Using the 12th pick acquired from Buffalo as bait, he gets back on the horn with Bucs GM Jason Licht, who took DE Jason Pierre-Paul off his hands last month. Knowing he has to get in front of Chicago, which employs Nelson’s former Fighting Irish O-line coach (Harry Hiestand), Gettleman could also send Licht a third-rounder to flip from 12th to seventh. Nelson might be the best player in the draft not named Saquon. He would help the Giants win now and later regardless of which quarterback he’s protecting and will surely help revive a dormant ground game.
8. Bears — Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama: They spent free agency putting new pieces around QB Mitchell Trubisky and would surely like to count Nelson as part of that effort. Fitzpatrick would enhance a defense charged with combating slot receivers such as Randall Cobb, Golden Tate and Stefon Diggs. Fitzpatrick could eventually settle into a safety combo with former Alabama teammate Eddie Jackson if Adrian Amos moves on in free agency next year.
9. 49ers — Derwin James, S, Florida State: The Niners have been busy building a Seattle-style defense laden with ex-Seahawks, including CB Richard Sherman and Super Bowl XLVIII MVP Malcolm Smith. James isn’t exactly Earl Thomas or Kam Chancellor but is a special player whose makeup is a combination of skills that include some of the best attributes of Seattle’s star safety tandem.
10. PROPOSED TRADE: Cardinals (from Raiders) — Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma: Maybe Arizona won’t have to go that far for its long-term answer under center. We have GM Steve Keim sending a third- and fifth-round pick to Oakland in order to swap their Round 1 slots and jump the Cards ahead of Miami, which has been widely linked to Mayfield. The fiery Heisman Trophy winner has every intention of playing right away, and given his ability — and fellow Sooner Sam Bradford’s lengthy medical chart — it might very well be Mayfield feeding Larry Fitzgerald and David Johnson under the capable tutelage of OC Mike McCoy.
11. Dolphins — Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia: Miami’s defense was merely average with Ndamukong Suh. Last year’s linebackers didn’t prove very effective despite the benefit of lining up behind Suh and the double teams he commanded. Hence, there’s a strong case to be made for a guy such as Smith, who’s far more capable of making plays on his own while bringing a nice streak of leadership.
12. PROPOSED TRADE: Buccaneers (from Bengals via Bills and Giants) — Mike Hughes, CB, Central Florida: Tampa Bay doesn’t have to drop far (or look beyond state lines) to snag a player who can further remedy the NFL’s worst defense in 2017 while adding juice to the Bucs’ return game.
13. Redskins — Vita Vea, DT, Washington: No team gave up more rushing yards last year than the ’Skins. Vea’s
6-4, 347-pound frame alone will obstruct running lanes, but he’s also uniquely mobile for a man his size and has shown the ability to bag quarterbacks, too.
14. PROPOSED TRADE: Chargers (from Packers) — Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech: Los Angeles GM Tom Telesco admits needing more from his linebackers. It’s probably worth surrendering a fourth-round pick in order to leapfrog the Raiders for Edmunds, 19, who already packs 253 pounds onto his
6-5 frame. Yet his size doesn’t appear to impede his range, and that could bolster the AFC’s worst run defense.
15. PROPOSED TRADE: Raiders (from Cardinals) — Da’Ron Payne, DT, Alabama: The smart play for Jon Gruden is putting more talent around Khalil Mack and a defense that ranked 23rd.
16. Ravens — Marcus Davenport, DE, Texas-San Antonio: Outgoing GM Ozzie Newsome’s final first-round pick might be best spent on a player who could ultimately supplant Terrell Suggs, who remains Baltimore’s best pass rusher at 35. Davenport would benefit from Suggs’ wisdom and on-field presence before the seven-time Pro Bowl selection winds down.
17. PROPOSED TRADE: Packers (from Chargers) — Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama: Jordy Nelson is gone, and Randall Cobb might be out in a year. Ridley effectively mixes the skills of both, ready to run polished routes now and able to provide the deep speed lost with Nelson’s departure.
18. PROPOSED TRADE: Steelers (from Seahawks) — Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama: Pittsburgh’s defense — and Super Bowl aspirations — fell apart last season after LB Ryan Shazier was lost in Week 13. Pittsburgh GM Kevin Colbert would get a player whose abilities largely mirror Shazier’s and would likely have to part with a third-rounder and additional sweetener to get Seattle to drop 10 slots. But the championship window for Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and others might close soon.
19. Cowboys — DJ Moore, WR, Maryland: Moore is an explosive asset who could take this offense to another level.
20. PROPOSED TRADE: Patriots (from Lions) — Harold Landry, OLB, Boston College: New England suddenly has a fair amount of holes yet also an ample supply of middle-round picks to move up. Why not deal with old buddies Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia, who have a lot of work to do in order to remain relevant in the NFC North?
21. Bengals (from Bills) — James Daniels, C, Iowa: Trading for LT Cordy Glenn was a major step in the right direction, but Cincinnati’s O-line is not yet sufficiently fortified.
22. PROPOSED TRADE: Giants (from Chiefs via Bills) — Taven Bryan, DT, Florida: Much of the focus in New York has been on offensive deficiencies; however, the defense could also look appreciably different under new coordinator James Bettcher. Bryan is another talented big man likely to intrigue Gettleman and could project as a three- or five-technique depending on the front. And with the 2019 first-rounder we gave Gettleman in the Buffalo deal, he remains well equipped to make a run at a quarterback next year if Eli Manning disintegrates.
23. Patriots (from Rams) — Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame: Though WRs Danny Amendola and now Brandin Cooks are gone, it’s far more important to prioritize a bouncer for Tom Brady, who’s spent nearly every snap of his career capably protected by Matt Light and new New York Giant Nate Solder.
24. Panthers — Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M: Carolina is installing a new offense under veteran coordinator Norv Turner. But despite the presence of scatback Christian McCaffrey, TE Greg Olsen and WRs Devin Funchess and Torrey Smith, there’s definitely immediate and long-term room for a player such as Kirk, who can operate outside when not manning the slot. He could also take over return duties now that McCaffrey has become the lead back.
25. Titans — Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State: At 6-4 and 256 pounds, he’s built almost exactly like new Tennessee head coach Mike Vrabel, an extremely versatile player during his 14year NFL career. Vrabel could be the perfect sculptor for Vander Esch, who could give this defense a boost whether he’s lining up inside or on the edge.
26. Falcons — Will Hernandez, G, Texas-El Paso: Atlanta’s roster has very few holes. But Hernandez would represent a marked improvement without being a reach in the first round.
27. Saints — Harrison Phillips, DT, Stanford: There’s a reason New Orleans wanted Suh. Phillips doesn’t have Suh’s gifts — certainly no knock on him — but his motor never stops, and his combination of strength and techniques refined as a three-time state wrestling champion in Nebraska would make him a formidable presence between Cam Jordan and Sheldon Rankins.
28. PROPOSED TRADE: Seahawks (from Steelers) — Joshua Jackson, CB, Iowa: Seattle GM John Schneider likes to work the board and historically moves down, an approach that makes more sense as he reloads the roster this year. At 6 feet and 196 pounds with exceptional ball skills, Jackson is almost a football clone of Sherman, who is slightly taller.
29. PROPOSED TRADE: Dolphins (from Jaguars) — Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville: Ryan Tannehill’s problematic knee casts doubt on his career. Jackson has significantly more upside, and Adam Gase, who has worked with all flavors of quarterback, could be the guy to maximize his highly intriguing potential. It makes sense to trade back into the first round to get the prized fifthyear contract option, especially with a quarterback. Meanwhile, Jacksonville could ask for an additional third-rounder while taking Miami’s Round 2 selection (42nd overall).
30. Vikings — Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville: Mike Zimmer co-signed the massive free agent gamble on QB Kirk Cousins. Probably wise to now get him one of the corners he values so deeply, especially if Terence Newman doesn’t come back or finally breaks down once he turns 40.
31. PROPOSED TRADE: Lions (from Patriots) — Sony Michel, RB, Georgia: The Alvin Kamara comparison he seems to invite is apt and would greatly enhance an offense that’s gotten little capability or reliability from its backs. Michel and LeGarrette Blount would be a potent tandem.
32. Eagles — Hayden Hurst, TE, South Carolina: Philly loves doubletight sets, but Zach Ertz had to say goodbye to Trey Burton and Brent Celek this offseason. Hurst would be an upgrade over both.