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With free-agency rolling around and knowing who will or will not be Franchised, I went ahead and rolled out a pre Free-Agency Mock Draft.
I also went with player comparisons for some of the players and I base that more off of how they play rather than what they will end up being.
*Please note that only the Top 10 will have player comparisons.*
Round 1
- Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence – QB, Clemson
Player Comparison: Aaron Rodgers
I hate doing comparisons but I thought I would shake things up with this Mock Draft. To be honest, I don’t think there is one single player comparison that is sufficient enough for Lawrence. He has some Rodgers, Mahomes, Watson, & Russ all in one. It’s insane and that is why he is the best Draft Prospect of all-time. Urban starts off his NFL coaching career with a transcendent player. - New York Jets: Zach Wilson – QB, BYU
Player Comparison: Matthew Stafford
Wilson has an insane arm and is capable of making very tough throws along with possessing great poise and can escape the pocket when needed. He will be a perfect fit in Mike LaFleur’s system as long as they can add some weapons around him. - Carolina Panthers (via Miami): Justin Fields – QB, Ohio State
Player Comparison: Justin Herbert
Carolina trades No.(s) 8, 39, 113 & 2022 1st & 3rd-Round picks to Miami for 3.
The Panthers are needing an elite-level QB to take over the franchise in Joe Brady’s vaunted offense and Fields is just that. With weapons all over at WR and RB, Fields can step in either right away or sit behind Teddy Bridgewater for a year and help the Panthers take the next step as a franchise. - Atlanta Falcons: Penei Sewell – OT, Oregon
Player Comparison: Orlando Pace
Sewell is the 2nd best player on my Big Board in this draft and his play on the field shows all the reasons why. He’s elite at every level and is a mammoth at Left Tackle. The Falcons can easily move Jake Matthews inside and insert Sewell to be their cornerstone at Left Tackle for years to come. - Cincinnati Bengals: Rashawn Slater – OL, Northwestern
Player Comparison: Healthy Isaiah Wynn
It was tempting to take Kyle Pitts here but with Joe Burrow coming off a major injury, the Bengals need to focus on getting him some protection and Slater provides that. He is versatile and able to play all positions along the Offensive Line with his highest ceiling being inside, but he’s also an athletic freak with the ability to swing out to Tackle as well. - Philadelphia Eagles: Kyle Pitts – TE, Florida
Player Comparison: Darren Waller
With Zach Ertz likely to be moved and a lack of playmakers at WR, the Eagles go with arguably the best skill position player in the draft in Pitts. At 6’6 240 pounds, he is a matchup problem at the Tight End position since he is too fast for opposing defenders and can even play a “FLEX” which would allow him to be sort of a Wide Receiver and be a matchup problem out there as well. The Eagles need to surround Jalen Hurts with as much help as they need and Pitts is a great start. - San Francisco 49ers (via Detroit): Trey Lance – QB, North Dakota State
Player Comparison: Dak Prescott
San Francisco trades No.(s) 12, 43, 2022 1st & 3rd-Round picks to Detroit for 7.
Lance arguably has the highest upside out of all the QB’s in this draft. He has a great arm, makes all necessary throws, and is capable of being a high-level runner at the Quarterback position. The 49ers replace Jimmy Garroppolo with someone who can help take them to a Super Bowl again and is able to win one based off his ability. - Miami Dolphins (via Carolina): Ja’Marr Chase – WR, LSU
Player Comparison: AJ Brown
Carolina trades No.(s) 8, 39, 113 & 2022 1st & 3rd-Round picks to Miami for 3.
Ja’Marr Chase is a very strong WR with great route-running ability and can be a great deep threat for any team. Miami desperately needs someone like that to surround Tua with and Chase gives them a great start towards building a Super Bowl contending team. - Denver Broncos: Pat Surtain ll – CB, Alabama
Player Comparison: Carlton Davis with higher upside
The Broncos desperately need a Cornerback they can rely on to be their #1 guy and lock down one part of the field. There is some debate as to whether Surtain or Farley is the top Corner in this draft, but with Surtain you get everything in terms of technique, fluidity, and the speed concerns should not be as prevalent since he ran the same 100M as Caleb Farley out of high school. - Dallas Cowboys: Caleb Farley – CB, Virginia Tech
Player Comparison: Jimmy Smith
New Defensive Coordinator has a ton of work to do with the Cowboys defense and it all starts at Corner. There is a major need there and they will need someone to come in right away and help out and with Farley he brings elite athleticism as well as fluidity and really good strength. - New York Giants: Jaylen Waddle – WR, Alabama
The Giants already had a pretty thin WR room and with cutting Golden Tate, it just became their biggest need. Waddle is the top WR on my board due to his ability to play inside and out, speed, and great route-running. He fits on any team and will give Daniel Jones the best player he has thrown to in his career. - Detroit Lions (via San Francisco): Devonta Smith – WR, Alabama
San Francisco trades No.(s) 12, 43, 2022 1st & 3rd-Round picks to Detroit for 7.
When the College season ended, it was hard to see Smith falling out of the Top 5 but after the hype died down after his Heisman season, he seemed to have fell on most Big Boards due to size concerns. Despite those concerns, Smith is still an elite prospect who can do it all and has the ability to be a great Punt Returner as well. With Golladay seemingly out the door, the Lions draft Smith to a WR room that features Quintez Cephus as WR1 right now. - Los Angeles Chargers: Christian Darrisaw – OT, Virginia Tech
Everyone knows that for quite some time now the Chargers have badly needed OL help. With Herbert emerging in 2020, LA needs to find some protection immediately and go with Christian Darrisaw who has all the makings of a Franchise Left Tackle for years to come. - Minnesota Vikings: Kwity Paye – EDGE, Michigan
Minnesota has Danielle Hunter and not much else after that after trading away Yannick Ngakoue mid-season last year. Paye would be an immediate upgrade for the Vikings with his size and speed and with Hunter being linked to Trade Rumors, Paye would seemingly help Minnesota transition to life after Danielle Hunter. - Washington Football Team (via New England): Mac Jones – QB, Alabama
Washington trades No.(s) 19, 51, 2022 3rd-Round pick to New England for 15.
Washington has a pretty deep team and they go with Mac Jones in their search for a QB to take them to the next level. Personally, Mac Jones is not that guy but Ron Rivera tends to prefer a game manager and someone who can take care of the Football at QB more than anything and Mac Jones brings that. He won’t win you away with any physical attributes, but he does possess a really good IQ and accuracy with the Football. - Arizona Cardinals: Jaycee Horn – CB, South Carolina
Jaycee Horn goes to Arizona who desperately needs Cornerback help right now. Horn has great size, length, and speed and is best in press-man or zone coverage. He has the ability to step in and be CB1 right away and will be nice duo to pair with Byron Murphy. - Las Vegas Raiders: Gregory Rousseau – EDGE, Miami (FL)
The Raiders desperately need some EDGE help and have been linked to trade rumors with Danielle Hunter and struck out on JJ Watt. They go with Rousseau who is the top EDGE player available. Rousseau is a stocky and strong player with great athleticism, but he also lacks technical moves right now that could keep him from being elite until he fixes those problems. - Miami Dolphins: Micah Parsons – LB, Penn State
Parsons is arguably a Top-5 talent but there are some off-field concerns with him as well as which position he sticks with long-term, but there is no denying that his talent is astronomical. His fit in Miami makes too much sense as Brian Flores is a no nonsense type of coach and seems to bring out the best in his players. Parsons’ best fit may be as an OLB/RUSH guy. - New England Patriots (via Washington): Rashod Bateman – WR, Minnesota
Washington trades No.(s) 19, 51, 2022 3rd-Round pick to New England for 15.
N’Keal Harry is receiving trade interest and with an aging Julian Edelman, the Patriots are needing some weapons on Offense badly. Bateman may have the highest floor in this WR class with his great route tree and ability to win 50-50 balls. New England has to figure out their QB position as well, but they need to have some guys to throw to and Bateman is the best available. - Chicago Bears: Alijah Vera-Tucker – OL, USC
The Bears never seem to address their OL needs that they have had for years and so they finally address that with Vera-Tucker here at 20. He has the versatility to play on the interior as well as the Tackle spots and he has great athleticism as well. This doesn’t solve Chicago’s problems but it sure does help them out. - Indianapolis Colts: Samuel Cosmi – OT, Texas
Anthony Castonzo retired and left a huge void at LT. Cosmi can come in with a lot of upside to become a Franchise guy at that spot, but for now he can be a formidable player there until he can become that guy. - Tennessee Titans: Jaelan Phillips – EDGE, Miami (FL)
The Titans struck out big time with Clowney and Beasley last off-season and not mention Kevin Dodd who seems to have just up and quit Football. Phillips, who is a former #1 Recruit, transferred to Miami from UCLA and got to show why he was just that coming out of high school. There are plenty of questions about his health, but there is no doubt that Phillips possesses all the skills to be a great Pass-Rusher. - New York Jets: Terrace Marshall Jr. – WR, LSU
The Jets went with Zach Wilson at 2 so they go with Terrace Marshall Jr. here at 23 to give Wilson and the Jets a #1 WR. Marshall has terrific size, physicality, hands, ball skills, run after catch ability & route-running skills and has the ability to play in the Slot and on the Outside. - Pittsburgh Steelers: Jalen Mayfield – OT, Michigan
Alejandro Villanueva is a free agent. Maurkice Pouncey retired. Big Ben isn’t getting any younger. The Steelers need a lot of help on the Offensive Line. Jalen Mayfield has great size and athleticism for pass protection and his ceiling is astronomical. He lined up at Right Tackle at Michigan but he can easily line up at Left Tackle as well for the Steelers. - Buffalo Bills (via Jacksonville): Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah – LB, Notre Dame
Buffalo trades No.(s) 30 & 61 to Jacksonville for 25.
Bills will need to get some Linebacker help with Matt Milano hitting the Free Agent market and Owusu-Koramoah can slide into the WILL spot and make an impact right away. He is a great blitzer up the middle and is versatile enough to be a 3rd Safety on the field in certain packages. - Cleveland Browns: Ifeatu Melifonwu – CB, Syracuse
Long. Athletic. Physical. Those are 3 words that best describe Ifeatu Melifonwu. He is a prospect with a high upside and fits best in a Zone Defense and Off-Man. He needs to work on his route-anticipation skills, but Melifonwu is certainly someone who can line up opposite of Denzel Ward and hold his own. - Baltimore Ravens: Azeez Ojulari – EDGE, Georgia
With extensions for Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews coming up, the Ravens likely won’t be able to spend money to bring back Matthew Judon. Ojulari is a super raw prospect and needs to work on his technique, but his athleticism and high-motor cannot be ignored off the edge. - Miami Dolphins (via New Orleans): Najee Harris – RB, Alabama
Miami trades No.(s) 36, 50 & 2022 3rd-Round pick to New Orleans for 28.
Najee Harris is the top RB available in this draft and goes to Miami to become the workhorse at the position. He has great mix of size, speed & agility and he can also be an elite pass-catcher out of the backfield. Harris gives Tua & Miami another weapon to work with. - Green Bay Packers: Teven Jenkins – OT, Oklahoma State
Ricky Wagner was a disaster for the Packers at Right Tackle so the Packers go with Jenkins who has versatility along the line. Good punch and gets great movement against defenders in the pass and run game. - Jacksonville Jaguars (via Buffalo): Eric Stokes – CB, Georgia
Buffalo trades No.(s) 30 & 61 to Jacksonville for 25.
The Jaguars went with CJ Henderson last year in Round 1 and go with another CB in Eric Stokes to solidify their Secondary. Stokes has really nice ball skills and vision but tends to get grabby and does not have great playing speed. If Stokes can clear up his technique, the sky is the limit for him. - Atlanta Falcons (via Kansas City): Ronnie Perkins – EDGE, Oklahoma
Atlanta trades No.(s) 35, 181, & 2022 3rd-Round Pick to Kansas City for 31
Perkins has shot up a lot of draft boards due to his size and ability as a run defender. He’s versatile and able to play standing up or hand in the dirt. Perkins does need to refine his techniques as both a pass and run defender, but he is already a high floor guy that’s able to step in and contribute right away. - Tampa Bay Buccanneers: Christian Barmore – DT, Alabama
Ndamukong Suh is likely gone in Free Agency and Tampa Bay needs to fill that spot with someone right away. Barmore is a monster on the D-Line and while he does have some questions about his health, he’s shown some major flashes of an elite Defensive Tackle. He needs to gain more experience as a player in his technique but his talent is special.
Round 2 - Jacksonville Jaguars: Pat Freiermuth – TE, Penn State
- New York Jets: Greg Newsome ll – CB, Northwestern
- Kansas City Chiefs (via Atlanta): Wyatt Davis – IOL, Ohio State
- New Orleans Saints (via Miami): Carlos Basham Jr. – DL, Wake Forest
- Philadelphia Eagles: Amon-Ra St. Brown – WR, USC
- Cincinnati Bengals: Kadarius Toney – WR, Florida
- Miami Dolphins (via Carolina): Landon Dickerson – IOL, Alabama
- Denver Broncos: Zaven Collins – LB, Tulsa
- Detroit Lions: Nick Bolton – LB, Missouri
- New York Giants: Jayson Oweh – EDGE, Penn State
- Detroit Lions (via San Francisco): Elijah Molden – CB, Washington
- Dallas Cowboys: Alex Leatherwood – OL, Alabama
- Jacksonville Jaguars: Liam Eichenberg – OT, Notre Dame
- New England Patriots: Levi Onwuzurike – DT, Washington
- Los Angeles Chargers: Joseph Ossai – EDGE, Texas
- Las Vegas Raiders: Trevon Moehrig – S, TCU
- Arizona Cardinals: Baron Browning – LB, Ohio State
- New Orleans Saints (via Miami): Aaron Robinson – CB, UCF
- New England Patriots (via Washington): Brevin Jordan – TE, Miami (FL)
- Chicago Bears: Dyami Brown – WR, North Carolina
- Tennessee Titans: Alim McNeill – DT, North Carolina State
- Indianapolis Colts: Nico Collins – WR, Michigan
- Pittsburgh Steelers: Creed Humphrey – OC, Oklahoma
- Seattle Seahawks: Dillon Radunz – OT, North Dakota State
- Los Angeles Rams: Spencer Brown – OT, Northern Iowa
- Baltimore Ravens: Jackson Carman – OT, Clemson
- Cleveland Browns: Richie Grant – S, UCF
- New Orleans Saints: Rondale Moore – WR, Purdue
- Buffalo Bills (via Jacksonville): Patrick Jones – EDGE, Pittsburgh
- Green Bay Packers: Tutu Atwell – WR, Louisville
- Kansas City Chiefs: Tylan Wallace – WR, Oklahoma State
- Tampa Bay Bucanneers: Joe Tryon – EDGE, Washington
Round 3 - Jacksonville Jaguars: Jevon Holland – S, Oregon
- New York Jets: Travis Etienne – RB, Clemson
- Houston Texans: Trey Smith – IOL, Tennessee
- Atlanta Falcons: Talanoa Hufanga – S, USC
- Cincinnati Bengals: Pete Werner – LB, Ohio State
- Philadelphia Eagles: Asante Samuel Jr. – CB, Florida State
- Denver Broncos: Quincy Roche – EDGE, Miami (FL)
- Detroit Lions: Tommy Togiai – DT, Ohio State
- Carolina Panthers: Jay Tufele – DT, USC
- Washington Football Team: Elijah Moore – WR, Ole Miss
- Dallas Cowboys: Daviyon Nixon – DT, Iowa
- New York Giants: Tyson Campbell – CB, Georgia
- Los Angeles Chargers: Josh Myers – IOL, Ohio State
- Minnesota Vikings: Quinn Meinerz – IOL, Wisconsin-Whitewater
- Arizona Cardinals: Javonte Williams – RB, North Carolina
- Las Vegas Raiders: Deonte Brown – IOL, Alabama
- Miami Dolphins: D’Wayne Eskridge – WR, Western Michigan
- Washington Football Team: Walker Little – OT, Stanford
- Chicago Bears: Davis Mills – QB, Stanford
- Philadelphia Eagles: Jamin Davis – LB, Kentucky
- Tennessee Titans: Ihmir Smith-Marsette – WR, Iowa
- New York Jets: Victor Dimukeje – EDGE, Duke
- Pittsburgh Steelers: Michael Carter – RB, North Carolina
- Detroit Lions: James Hudson – OT, Cincinnati
- Cleveland Browns: Payton Turner – EDGE, Houston
- Minnesota Vikings: Hamsah Nasirildeen – S, Florida State
- Cleveland Browns: Jabril Cox – LB, North Dakota State
- Green Bay Packers: Trill Williams – CB, Syracuse
- Jacksonville Jaguars: Kelvin Joseph – CB, LSU
- Kansas City Chiefs: Brady Christensen – OT, BYU
- Tampa Bay Bucanneers: Aaron Banks – IOL, Notre Dame
*3rd-Round Compensatory Picks - New England Patriots: Dylan Moses – LB, Alabama
- Los Angeles Chargers: Benjamin St-Juste – CB, Minnesota
- New Orleans Saints: Jamie Newman – QB, Georgia
- Dallas Cowboys: Hunter Long – TE, Boston College
- Tennessee Titans: Tommy Tremble – TE, Notre Dame
- Los Angeles Chargers: Chazz Surratt – LB, North Carolina
- San Francisco 49ers: Paulson Adebo – CB, Stanford
- Los Angeles Rams: Hamilcar Rashed Jr. – EDGE, Oregon State
- Baltimore Ravens: Kenny Yeboah – TE, Ole Miss
- New Orleans Saints: Cameron McGrone – LB, Michigan