Mock Draft 3.0

1 Cincinnati Bengals; Joe Burrow, QB, LSU

- Not too much to see here. Same pick as my last mock draft and it seems pretty unanimous at this point that Joe Burrow will be going number one in the Draft. Here are some things Burrow did at LSU last season. Dude threw for 5,671 yards (led the nation) and 60 touchdowns (record) while completing 76.3% of his passes (led nation) and having a quarterback rating of 202.0 (record), Burrow went onto win the Heisman Trophy (mentioned above), the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, the Davey O’Brien Award, was named the AP College Player of the Year and the Sporting News Player of the Year, and was named a Unanimous All American as well as First Team All-SEC and was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year. Not only did he win all these individual awards, he led LSU to the National Championship game, becoming the first no.1 seed in the CFP to ever win the Naty by beating Clemson 42-25 and was named the Offensive MVP of the game, throwing for 463 yards and six total touchdowns (five passing one rushing). Should be pretty unanimous right?

2 Washington Redskins; Chase Young, DE, Ohio State

- The Redskins stay put at number two and take the best overall player in the Draft. Now, there has been some rumors with the Redskins wanting to take Tua Tagovailoa but personally, I just believe they are doing that trying to scare the Dolphins or Chargers into giving up A LOT for the number two pick, like Cleveland tried to do a few years ago with Josh Allen and the Bills. If the Redskins are smart, they take Chase Young. Now I could definitely see the benefits of trading back and filling out more holes in the roster, but you can’t pass up on a generational talent like Chase Young when he’s available.

3 Los Angeles Chargers (trade); Tua Tagovailoa, QB Alabama

- There’s going to be a new starting quarterback for the Chargers this upcoming season. For the first time in 16 years Philip Rivers will not be under center. As it stands right now it will be Tyrod Taylor, the former Ravens, Bills, and Browns QB worked with HC Anthony Lynn while in Buffalo and fits the style of offense Lynn wants to run. That being said, T-Mobile is not the long term answer for the Bolts. Now, I could just be reading into things too much, but the Chargers went out and traded for a starting right guard and signed a right tackle in free agency to bolster the right side of the o-line. Now again, I could be reading into things too much, but they could be doing that because they are going after a left handed quarterback in the draft, and you know who’s left handed? The kid from Bama Tua Tagovailoa. Tua would be an awesome fit for the Chargers and even if he’s not ready to play right away, Tyrod is there to handle the burden. He is an extremely accurate quarterback who has all the tools to be successful in the NFL. Dude throws the prettiest ball I have ever seen from a left handed quarterback, everything he does is so smooth and natural. If he can stay healthy, which the reports on his hip are “overwhelmingly positive,” he should have a very nice NFL career for the Bolts.

4 New York Giants; Isaiah Simmons, DEF, Clemson

- Dave Gettleman always says the Giants are going to go after “gold jacket guys” when it comes to the Draft. I don’t see anyone in this Draft that fits the “gold jacket guy” mantra better than the “Secretary of Defense” (just came up with that) in Isaiah Simmons. While at the Combine, Simmons was asked what his best position is, dude literally just said “defense.” Simmons can play everywhere. At Clemson, I saw him play linebacker (his listed position), safety, corner, defensive end, and even rushing through the middle, he can play everywhere and play it exceptionally well. The comparisons I have seen for him have been Jalen Ramsey, Derwin James, and Von Miller, those three play three different positions! I truly believe this is the guy the Giants are targeting. They need help at linebacker and none of the FA are tickling their fancy. Yes, they could also go with an offensive lineman here, but when a player with the skill set of Isaiah Simmons comes around, you do not pass on him.

5 Miami Dolphins; Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon

- With the Chargers trading up with Detroit the Dolphins are stuck with their number two option, Justin Herbert (or maybe Herbert is their number one option idk). Herbert may not be ranked as high as Tua according to most “experts”, but he is still a very good quarterback. A very smart and mobile QB with a very strong arm, he could be that “Tom Brady” that former Patriots DC Brian Flores could be looking for. Just like Tua taken before him, Herbert doesn’t need to be ready to play right away. With Fitzmagic there, Herbert can sit behind, arguably, the best “bridge quarterback” in the NFL. Herbert has the size, tools, and smarts to be a very good quarterback in the NFL, and with Tom Brady moving onto Tampa Bay, the battle for the AFC East is up in the air, getting their QB of the future with this pick could throw the Dolphins back into the discussion. (I am aware they have more needs than QB, but it’s a start)

6 Detroit Lions (trade); Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State

- By far the best corner back in the Draft, Jeff Okudah seems to be the betting favorite to land in Detroit. Last season, the Lions defense was absolutely atrocious, the worst part being their secondary and with the rumors swirling around that they’re looking to trade Darius Slay, this pick kind of picks itself. . Last season, the Detroit Lions had the worst pass defense in the entire league, giving up 284.4 yards per game through the air and 4,551 yards for the entire season and had a league low seven interceptions while allowing 33 touchdowns, pathetic to say the least. Okudah is by far the best corner back in this draft (who also had 0 penalties in college(!)) and will help fill a major hole in the Lions defense.

7 Carolina Panthers; Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn

- The Cam Newton era in Carolina is over, but that doesn’t mean they will be moving for a quarterback with this pick. The Panthers signed former Saints QB Teddy Bridgewater to a three-year $63 million contract just a few days ago, so quarterback doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen here. Before we move on, rumor has it that they’re looking at current Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence in next years Draft. Ok, back to the pick. The Panthers need some help on the defensive side of the ball, whether that be at the linebacker spot, defensive backfield, or in the interior of the d-line, they need to fill some holes. Not a lot of players in this Draft can fill holes much like Auburn d-tackle Derrick Brown. Dude was an absolute beast while at Auburn, Brown was named 2019 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, an All-SEC First Team selection and Unanimous All-American selection. Last season, Carolina gave up 143.5 rush yards per game and 5.2 yards per attempt, which ranks dead last in the NFL. Auburn had the third best rush defense in the SEC last season, a big reason for that was Derrick Brown. If the Panthers want to solve their defensive woes against the run, drafting Derrick Brown would be very smart.

8 Arizona Cardinals; Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa

- A few days ago, the Cardinals committed a highway robbery, stealing DeAndre Hopkins from the Houston Texans. My prediction in the last Mock Draft was for the Cards to Draft Kyler’s college teammate CeeDee Lamb with the eighth pick, but with Hopkins now there, that don’t make a whole lot of sense now does it? (maybe it does, idk). So, instead of the stud wide receiver, I got the Cardinals taking the best o-lineman in the Draft (imo) in Tristan Wirfs from Iowa. Wirfs put on an absolute show while at the combine, running a 4.85 40 and had a 36” vertical (higher than CeeDee Lamb’s). Now, while those numbers are extremely impressive for a 320 lb. lineman, it doesn’t show how good of a blocker he is, we’ll have to look back at his college stats. While at Iowa, Wirfs gave up only one sack as the starting right tackle and was named the Big Ten’s Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2019. Before the combine, some were saying Wirfs should move inside to guard, a move that worked out well for former Hawk Brandon Scherff, a three time Pro Bowler, but I don’t think Wirfs needs to do that. At the combine he showed off his athleticism and his college tape shows how dominant he was on the edge. The Cardinals signed left tackle DJ Humphries to a big free agency contract, so drafting Wirfs to play right tackle would surly sure up the Cardinals offensive line.

9 Jacksonville Jaguars; Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina

- Much like the Panthers at seven, the Jaguars need to sure up the defensive side of the ball. What made the Jaguars so good (for half a season) has slowly been depleted over the year. Whether it be corner, safety, linebacker, defensive line, the Jaguars just need help. So, with this pick, the Jaguars take the best defensive player available, South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw. This dude is an absolute monster, standing at 6’6” and weighing in at 310 lbs., he is truly a force to be reckoned with inside. This past season at South Carolina, Kinlaw was named first team All-SEC and amassed 35 total tackles, six sacks (career high), and two fumble recoveries. Prior to the Combine, he was saying he could possibly be the next Aaron Donald. If he is anything close to that, Jaguars fans should be pretty happy. Hopefully, for Jags fans sake, Kinlaw revives “Sacksonville.”

10 Philadelphia Eagles (trade); CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma

- Our first big move up, the Eagles jump from number 21 all the way to number ten! The Eagles need to come away with a top tier wide receiver in this round, and to me, there aren’t many better than Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb. If you are constructing a typical number one wide receiver, you’d use Lamb as the model. He’s got the size, speed, and athletic ability to be the perfect target for Philly. One big thing the Eagles struggled with is wide receiver consistency, and I mean consistent in everything. While at OU, Lamb was unstoppable, literally. With the ball in his hands, Lamb forced 26 missed tackles, he had only three drops in 245 targets, averaged over 17 yards per catch in his three years at OU, and tallied 3,292 receiving yards in his career. Dude does everything on the football field. He catches (everything), he runs, and he blocks. He’d be a blessing to Wentz, who had over 4,000 passing yards without a single receiver over 500 yards receiving. Lamb is the best wide receiver in this class and I could totally see the Eagles trading up to get him.

11 New York Jets; Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville

- Protecting franchise quarterback Sam Darnold is a must for the New York Jets. The offensive line for the Jets has been something of a problem in recent years, and yes, I know the Jets also need a true number one wide receiver, but with this being a historically deep wide receiver class, the Jets cannot pass up on the top o-lineman in the Draft. Mekhi Becton is an absolute man mountain, standing at 6’7” and weighing in at 364 lbs., he is a truly imposing figure on the left side of the o-line. Becton, like Wirfs, shocked everyone at the combine by running a 5.1 40, which some say was more impressive than Ruggs 4.27 40 time, and I’d agree. How a dude that big move that well? I don’t understand it. With this type of imposing figure available here at number 11, I truly can’t see the Jets passing him up.

12 Las Vegas Raiders; Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama

- The battle for the second best wide receiver in the Draft is an intense one between two former Alabama teammates Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III. Before the Combine, many had Jeudy as the unquestionable top wide receiver in the class and Ruggs a distant third, post Combine, things stand a little different. Ruggs has elite speed that a lot of scouts and coaches are looking for in today’s NFL. Though Ruggs didn’t break John Ross’ 40 yard dash record, a 4.27 is nothing to sniff at. Not only is Ruggs an absolute burner, he’s not as small as some make him out to be, standing at 5’11”, he’s only two inches shorter than his Bama teammate. Though Ruggs’ speed is impressive, that’s not what truly impresses me, it’s the fact he had only one drop throughout his college career, one drop in 139 targets, crazy. Some have also said Ruggs was the “alpha” of the receiving core at Bama, and looking at the history of the Raiders, what do they look for in the Draft? Alphas and speed. Al Davis is famous for saying “speed kills.” The Raiders love drafting speed, and the fact that Ruggs is more than just speed makes him that much more appealing for the silver and black.

13 San Francisco 49ers (trade); Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama

- With a blockbuster trade sending Buckner to the Colts, the Niners now have the 13thpick, and with this pick they take the top receiver available in Jerry Jeudy. Before the Combine, Jeudy was seen as the best in the Draft in regard to wide outs, now, it’s a wide open debate. Jeudy doesn’t possess the size of Lamb and doesn’t have the killer speed Ruggs has, but what he does have is an amazing route running ability. Go and watch Jeudy’s route running, it is something to behold. He has this innate ability to stop on a Dime and would be a great fit to the 49ers offense. The Niners have some playmakers out wide, but are going to want a main guy, that’s where Jeudy comes in. While at Bama, Jeudy totaled up 2,742 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns. Though he did have a “down” senior season, he’s still a very very good wide receiver who will/should be taken with a tip 13 pick.

14 Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama

- Much like their division rivals in Carolina, the Bucs are in for a new era at quarterback. Enter the GOAT, Tom Brady. For Tampa, you are going from Mr. Inconsistent in Jameis Winston to, again, the GOAT, it’s going to be an adjustment for fans to look at, Tom Brady not playing for New England, weird. With Brady signing, the Bucs could certainly draft their future QB, with Jordan Love available, but I think they’d be better served to help protect Mr. Brady in the twilight of his career. Now, this isn’t just for Brady, the Bucs o-line has been something of a problem over the years, being widely regarded as one of the worst units in the NFL. Getting Wills would help sure up the o-line, he gave up only 12 sacks in 381 pass attempts and only missed seven blocking assignments in 714 snaps at Alabama, which is a 99.9% success rate, giving Brady a clean(er) pocket to throw to the talent core of wide receivers the Bucs have.

15 Denver Broncos; Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia

- The Broncos could go a few directions with this pick, depending on who’s available I guess. The Ponies have no speed on the outside. Now, that’s not saying they have no talent out wide, they do have a big boy wide receiver in Courtland Sutton and a talented pass catching tight end in Noah Fant. They also have a stud quarterback in Drew Lock and a very good running back in Phillip Lindsey. I would imagine the Broncos are targeting the likes of Henry Ruggs III from Bama, but with him gone, they must address another position of need on the offense, the o-line, most notably, tackle. A few years ago, the Broncos drafted current left tackle Garrett Boles, but if you’ve watched 15 minutes of Broncos football this year, they can certainly upgrade at that spot. On the other side, Ja’Waun James, who they got from Miami, can’t stay out of the nurses office. The Broncos need to upgrade at tackle, with Thomas available, I don’t think the Broncos can pass up.

16 Atlanta Falcons; CJ Henderson, CB, Florida

- The Falcons have some problems on their team. Not only do they a lot of holes to fill on their roster, they also started winning towards the end of the season to screw themselves out of a top-10 pick. The big needs on this team reside on the defensive side of the ball, especially in the pass game and the fact that they can’t get to the passer and they can’t stop anyone through the air, and with the Falcons releasing Trufant, they need to address corner in the first round, and the next best corner is CJ Henderson. The secondary of the Falcons struggled at times last year, with every passing category for the Dirty Birds ranking firmly in the bottom half of the league. Henderson last season was named to First Team-All SEC last season and Second Team All-SEC back in 2018. Throughout his career at Florida, he racked up 93 total tackles (66 solo) with six interceptions. Henderson possesses the speed (ran a 4.39 40), strength, and pass coverage abilities to be a very good pick for the Falcons here.

17 Dallas Cowboys; Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama

- The Cowboys have made it clear that they are going to build their defense through the Draft, with a whole lot of money going to the QB and Amari Cooper. The position of greatest concern for the Cowboys has to be the secondary, the conundrum we face is what we take here, corner or safety. For right now, with Jeff Heath leaving and no other real options there, I feel the Boys will pick the safety here. The best one available is Xavier McKinney from Alabama. McKinney can do everything in the secondary, playing both safety and corner while at Bama. Throughout each year at Alabama, McKinney improved in every statistical category. His senior year he had 95 total tackles, three sacks, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, three interceptions and was named First Team All-SEC. He was also named the Orange Bowl MVP in 2018. Dude can play everywhere, he would surely help sure up the Cowboys depleted secondary.

18 Miami Dolphins (via Steelers); Josh Jones, OT, Houston

- The Dolphins got their quarterback now they’ve just got to protect him. Last season, the Dolphins let their starting right tackle walk to Denver and their starting left tackle they traded to the Houston Texans, they have no tackles, arguably their biggest need, bar quarterback. The Phins have to Draft a tackle, Jones is currently the best one available. Jones has all the things scouts look for in an offensive tackle. He has the ideal size, 6’5” 319 lbs., and has the ideal arm length the keep rushers away from him. Another thing that could be beneficial for his draft stock is his colligate experience, starting a vast majority of his games in his four years in college (redshirted his freshman year). Some scouts do say that he may not be the finished product, which again makes him intriguing. Jones could be a very good tackle in the NFL and could sure up the Dolphins offensive line and help protect their future quarterback.

19 Las Vegas Raiders (via Bears); Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU

- The Raiders need to get some things figured out on the defensive side of the ball, most notably in the secondary. Last season, the Raiders pass defense ranked as one of the worst in almost every single category. They ranked 25thin total pass yards given up, 28thin touchdowns allowed, and were the second worst team in regards to interceptions with nine. The Silver and Black need to solve their secondary woes, and a good start would be to get Kristian Fulton from LSU. Fulton would bring experience and a winning mentality to the Raiders locker room after coming off a National Championship during his final season at LSU. Fulton had himself a nice senior season at LSU, being named Second Team All-SEC and winning a National Championship in a season which saw him start every game and make 32 tackles to go along with 13 passes defended and one interceptions. Fulton is a very experienced player and has all the tools to be a beast at the next level. To me, Fulton is the third best corner in this Draft, I think the Raiders would be smart to take him here at 19.

20 Jacksonville Jaguars (via Rams); Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama

- The Jaguars traded away Jalen Ramsey last season and AJ Bouye a few weeks ago, this pick pretty much picks itself. Like I said with the ninth pick, the thing that made the Jaguars so good, again, for about half a season, was their defense. The secondary made this defense. At the time, Ramsey and Bouye were the most feared corners in the NFL, opponents hated throwing against the Jaguars, which made the defensive lineman’s jobs so easy, if the secondary is locking up receivers, it gives you more time to get to the quarterback. The secondary made “Sacksonville” go. Now, that secondary is no more. Literally. Every player from that secondary is gone, now the Jags got to replace them and Stefon Diggs’ young brother is the best corner available for the Jags. Diggs has the size scouts are looking for in a corner back, standing at 6’2” and weighing 207 lbs., he’s long, athletic and can make every play in the defensive backfield. Last season for Jacksonville, they gave up 7.9 yards per attempt (6thworst in the league) while only picking off 10 passes (5thworst). With Diggs going here and Kinlaw going at nine, things may start to turn around for Jacksonville.

21 Cleveland Browns (trade); Ezra Cleveland, OT, Boise State

- The Eagles send a nice little bounty to the Browns to move up to the 10thoverall pick to help out their franchise quarterback by getting him a stud wide receiver. The Browns signed right tackle Jack Conklin from Tennessee a few days ago, but that doesn’t solve everything regarding the Cleveland Browns offensive line. Yes the Browns could stay at 10 and take one of the top tackles, but reports say that the Browns really like this athletic tackle from Boise State who has the same name as the city he could play in, that man is Ezra Cleveland. While at Boise, Cleveland started 39 games out of 40 and was twice named First Team All-Mountain West. Cleveland is a very good athlete who showed that off at the combine, running a 4.93 40 while in Indy. Dude has the ideal size and mobility to play tackle for the Browns for a long time. If you’re a Browns fan, going into next season getting Hooper, Conklin, and now adding Cleveland in the Draft, I would be pretty excited for next season.

22 Minnesota Vikings (trade); Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU

- The Vikings traded disgruntled stud wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills for a ton of picks, including this one. Though Diggs was coming off a career year in Minnesota, you could tell that he no longer wanted to be in Minnesota. Now, the Vikings got to replace him (and just add to an already tiny receiving core), so why not use the pick you got for him to draft his replacement? While in college, Jefferson put up some godly numbers. He put up 1,540 yards (3rd) and 18 touchdowns (2nd) during his last season at LSU while also coming away with a National Championship. Those numbers, though very impressive, were not the best on the team believe it or not, Ja’Marr Chase was first in both categories, but Jefferson still deserves the love. Number one overall pick Joe Burrow called Jefferson “his guy” in a recent interview, I’d say that’s a pretty good recommendation to take a guy. Jefferson can play in the slot and on the outside, showing off great speed in his 40 yard dash, surprising most with his 4.43 40 time. If the Vikings want to replace the Pro Bowler and fan favorite in Diggs, taking Jefferson would be a good step to replace him.

23 New England Patriots; K’Lavon Chaisson, EDGE, LSU

- We are in a weird time right now, the Patriots stranglehold on the AFC East may be over. Now I’m saying MAY because it’s the stupid Patriots. Tom Brady is gone so do they draft a quarterback with this pick? I’m actually going to say no, I like Jarrett Stidham and I feel the Pats feel the same way, so I kind of expect them to trade for an Andy Dalton type to back up Stidham and help him develop into a good starter. I think the Pats got a steal when they got him in the fourth round in the last draft. With that being said, another need for the Patriots is on the edge, losing Kyle Van Noy to the Miami Dolphins and Jamie Collins to the Detroit Patriots, they got to get someone who can come off the edge in a 3-4 defense. There aren’t a lot of players in this Draft that come off the edge with the amount of speed Chaisson has. Last season at LSU, Chaisson had 60 tackles, 13.5 for loss, 6.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. In the Playoff, he had 20 pressures, five sacks, four quarterback hits, 11 hurries, 4.5 tackles for loss and 18 total tackles. The Pats got to get a quality edge rusher with this pick, and none will fit their style of defense better than Chaisson.

24 New Orleans Saints; Patrick Queen, LB, LSU

- The New Orleans Saints finished out last season in familiar fashion, losing to the Minnesota Vikings in the Playoffs. That being said, last season could be viewed as somewhat of a success. After losing Drew Brees early in the season, expectations were low for the Saints, but they kept grinding, undefeated in Brees’ absence. Now, this is more than likely Drew Brees’ final season in the NFL, the Saints need to everything they can to make him happy in his final year. One thing that would make him very happy would be getting another wide receiver to partner Michael Thomas, but with this being a very deep wide receiver class, the Saints go with another position of need, linebacker. If you travel about an hour and 20 minutes north west of New Orleans, you’ll land in Baton Rouge, home to the National Champion LSU Tigers. If you go about 40 minutes past Baton Rouge you’ll end up in the hometown of LSU linebacker Patrick Queen. Queen was an absolute stud for the LSU Tigers in their Championship season, with some saying he was the best player on defense for the Tigers last season. He was all over the field. Dude is extremely athletic, able to play sideline to sideline in the NFL. He has all the skills to be a beast at the next level and for a team who is in need of some linebacking help, the Saints don’t need to travel too far to find it.

25 Indianapolis Colts (trade); Jordan Love, QB, Utah State

- After trading the 13th pick to San Francisco, the Colts trade back into the first round to select the final quarterback of the first round, Jordan Love. Now, Love is seen by some as a top 10 pick whereas others see him as a late first round pick, and that’s where I have him going. Love may have all the potential in the Draft but some teams will probably be scared by the fact he threw 17 interceptions and had such a down year in his junior year compared to his sophomore year. Again, Love has all the potential to be a great quarterback in this league, getting compared to Patrick Mahomes, and much like Mahomes, he’ll need to learned under a veteran in order to max his potential. That’s where the Colts and Philip Rivers comes in. That being said, Phil may not be the “ideal” mentor to Love, look at Rivers last season in LA, but I feel Love would be a quality pick for the Colts, even if it’s later than some anticipated.

26 Miami Dolphins (via Texans); Grant Delpit, S, LSU

- The third and final pick for the Miami Dolphins in the 2020 first round sees the Dolphins address another position of need, safety. The Dolphins traded away former first round pick Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Steelers last season for the Steelers first round pick of this Draft (18th pick), and much like Fitzpatrick before him, Delpit is the reigning Jim Thorpe Award winner, which is given to the best defensive back in college football. That being said, even Delpit was surprised he won the award as he battled injuries throughout his final season at LSU. Along with that award, Delpit was a two time First Team All-American, a two time First Team All-SEC, and came out of school as a National Champion. Now, all of that stuff usually gets a guy drafted fairly high in the draft doesn’t it? In this case, there is quite the concern about Delpit, whether that be his injury history or the fact that his tackling ability is not that great. You know who also wasn’t a great tackler? Deion Sanders. Now, I’m NOT comparing Delpit to the greatest defensive back of all time, but tackling aside, I don’t know if there’s a better ball hawking safety in the Draft than Delpit. The Dolphins gave up a lot of yards though the air last season while also giving up the most touchdowns. They added former Cowboy Byron Jones, adding Delpit would help make the Dolphins secondary a whole heck of a lot better going into this season. Dude has all the ability in the world to be a stud at the next level, the Dolphins shouldn’t pass on him here.

27 Seattle Seahawks; AJ Epenesa, DE, Iowa

- The Seahawks could honestly go a few directions with this pick. I feel they could help fill holes on the offensive line but for right now they should help fill a hole on the edge. Last season, the Seahawks had only 28 sacks, ranking second to last in the league, tied with Atlanta and Detroit. Now, they did Draft LJ Collier from TCU last year, but he only played in 11 games and had three total tackles last season. Add to that they are going to lose Jadeveon Clowney in free agency this is position of need for Seattle. Though Epenesa didn’t perform the best at the Combine, you cannot deny his on the field talent. While wearing the black and gold, Epenesa racked up 101 total tackles (61 solo) and 10+ sacks in his sophomore and junior season (10.5 2018; 11.5 2019) while only being a starter in 2019. I think it would be smart for Seattle to take a guy to get after the quarterback as well as AJ Epenesa.

28 Baltimore Ravens; Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma

- Though the Ravens finished with the best regular season record last year, they still fell short of the ultimate goal which is getting to a Super Bowl. Even the best teams in the NFL have their flaws, and one of the biggest “flaws” (if you want to call it that) is at linebacker. The Ravens lost Za’Darius Smith to Green Bay, Terrell Suggs to Arizona, and their stud middle linebacker CJ Mosley to the friggin Jets. If the Ravens want to go back to their blistering best, they need to draft a linebacker in this Draft, and they don’t make a lot better than OU’s Kenneth Murray. In three seasons at Oklahoma, Murray totaled 334 tackles and was second in the nation in tackles his sophomore tallying 155 tackles, he also tallied 9.5 sacks for his career and six pass deflections. Murray is an extremely active linebacker that the Ravens very much need and could definitely use. Growing up Murray idolized Ray Lewis, if dude can be anything close to Ray Lewis, Ravens fans will be overjoyed.

29 Tennessee Titans; Austin Jackson, OT, USC

- The Titans miraculously made it to the AFC Championship game last season, beating New England and Baltimore both on the road before getting beat down by Kansas City at Arrowhead. The Titans surprised a lot of people last season, none surprised more than former Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who showed why it took Miami so long to move on from him. This offseason, Tennessee rewarded Tannehill with a healthy contract, four-year extension worth $118 million with $62 million guaranteed. When you pile all that money into a quarterback, it’s best to protect him. The Titans lost former starting right tackle Jack Conklin to the Cleveland Browns, so protecting him just got a wee bit harder. I feel the Titans need to fill that hole left by Conklin by drafting an offensive tackle, and the best one for them is probably Austin Jackson from USC. Austin Jackson has got all of the tools to be a very good offensive tackle in the NFL. He may be more of a developmental piece, but his upside should get coaches and scouts excited. Jackson started 25 games for the Trojans at left tackle and has the ideal size (6’5” 322 lbs.), long arms, big hands, and is very athletic to where, again, he could play every position on the o-line. As I said above, the Titans just signed QB Ryan Tannehill to a nice little contract, they should be doing their best to try and keep him upright and drafting Jackson would be a step in the right direction.

30 Green Bay Packers; Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor

- One glaring need for the Green Bay Packers last season was that they don’t have any wide receivers A-Rod trusts outside of Devante Adams. That’s not really ideal. So, with this pick, I feel the Packers should address that, by drafting Denzel Mims out of Baylor. While playing for the Bears, Mims put up two thousand yard seasons (2019 and 2017) and caught a career high 12 touchdowns in his senior season. While at the Combine, Mims showed why he should be a first round selection. His size and speed really wowed scouts in Indy, standing at 6’2” and weighing 207 lbs. while also running a 4.38 40. That combination of size and straight line speed are very desirable in today’s NFL. Though his route running is suspect at times (as most Baylor receivers are) he is a very good vertical threat and possesses some of the best hands in the Draft, which would add something to the Packers offense that they have needed for some time. Pairing Mims with Adams would make Aaron Rodgers very happy and could make the Packers a very scary team going into next season.

31 San Francisco 49ers; Ross Blacklock, DT, TCU

- The Niners traded away All-Pro defensive tackle Deforest Buckner to the Colts for quite a few picks, now, they have a hole where the man mountain used to play. That’s where Ross Blacklock comes into play. The 49ers have been addressing their defensive line for what feels like an eternity now, with their starting defensive line all being former first round draft picks, now we can add Blacklock to the list. Ross Blacklock is a very quick and versatile interior d-lineman while standing at 6’3” weighing in a 290 lbs. He’s not as massive as Buckner, but he possesses a similar skill set to the former Oregon Duck, possessing a “ferocious” bull rush where he launches himself at o-lineman, overall a very talented interior pass rusher. As Daniel Jeremiah said, Blacklock comes with some risks but is worth it. I think drafting Blacklock with the 31stpick is worth the risk for the 49ers.

32 Kansas City Chiefs; Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU

- Ah, the final pick of Mock Draft 3.0, and it belongs to the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs. Though the Chiefs walked away with the Lombardi Trophy, they still have some holes on their roster, and though it wasn’t as bad as it was in years past, the secondary still needs some work for Kansas City. How it got better was through the likes of Kendall Fuller, Bashaud Breeland, and Morris Claiborne, but all of them are unrestricted free agents, with Fuller going back to his original team the Washington Redskins. The Chiefs have a need at corner, I feel the best one available for Chiefs Kingdom would be Gladney from TCU. In his last season at TCU, Gladney led the Big 12 in pass break-ups while also registering 31 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss and an interception. Along with his abilities, I feel his mindset could draw teams to him, playing a lot bigger than his listed height and weight (5’10” 191 lbs.) and welcoming every challenge put at his feet. I feel Gladney and the Chiefs would be perfect for each other and is a nice pick to close out the first round.