A while back I decided that I wasn’t as connected to this draft cycle as I wanted to be. So I decided to create a full 7 round mock draft complete with trades. It was more fun than I imagined and significantly easier than it has been in the past thanks to tools like The Draft Networks ability to create your own big board. TDN has a ton of useful information and I relied heavily on their scouting reports to try and match the correct player with the right team. Feel free to take a look at the file below and let me know what you think. There are two tabs on the spreadsheet, the draft itself, as well as the organized draft by team, sorted by division. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...0nYAh-aJ-OhjES6LC9rWLMEDk/edit#gid=1766868596 Any feedback you have would be greatly appreciated.
Jets Report As anyone knows, around here it’s primarily about the Jets, and you will find our draft and my general rationale below. Jets made two first round trades details below Giants Receive #3, Jets receive #6, #17, #37 Chiefs Receive #17, Jets Receive #29, 2020 1st round selection Now the Actual Draft 6 - Nick Bosa - Edge Ohio State 29 - Hakeem Butler - WR - Iowa State 37 - Elgton Jenkins - C - Mississippi State 68 - Julian Love - CB - Notre Dame 94 - Darrell Henderson RB - Memphis 106 - Beau Benzschawel - OG - Wisconsin 165 - Hunter Renfrow - WR - Clemson 198 - Dontavious Russel - DT - Auburn 219 - Bruce Anderson - RB - North Dakota State The Explanation The Giants lost out on the pre-draft sweepstakes for Josh Rosen (who ended up with the Bengals in my mock draft), and paid a similar price to us last year to move from 6 to 3. Last year we paid 2 current year 2nd rounds (corresponding trade value of a mid round 1 pick) and a future 2nd. This year the Giants paid about a half round more in trade value points to get their guy compared to what we gave up a year ago. At 6 we needed a pass rusher more than anything else, with #17 in the bag now, I think that’s a better spot to target a playmaker or offensive lineman for Sam. As the draft unfolded, the Raiders opt for the versatility of Allen, and the Bucs thankfully choose to replace Alexander with a true stud in Devin White, letting the drafts best pass rusher fall into our laps at 6. Simply cannot pass up Bosa at this point. As 17 creeps closer, Brian Burns is still on the board, in my eyes he is BPA, and I am honestly considering taking him if I can’t swing a deal for the pick. Bosa + Burns, talk about revamping a lackluster pass rush! But thankfully the Chiefs who are absolutely desperate to replace both Houston and Ford make the move to trade up to #17 for Burns. However, they are trying to win right now, and choose to give us a future #1 rather than the 2 nd round picks they have this year. Knowing that we aren’t winning it all right now, future top draft picks is a win for us to keep building. At 28 the Texans leap frog us to steal our center of the future, Bradbury. So I go with the best remaining target for Sam. Butler is one of my favorites in the draft, and we could only be so lucky to really grab him in real life. Early in the second, we absolutely have to grab a center and can’t risk missing out again. No one is calling, so I make the play to grab the best remaining center. It’s not the best value, but it is the most important position to walk away with a guy we feel really good about starting for us long term. By some miracle other teams passed on Love in a CB weak draft opting for measureables, speed and/or scheme fit to select other guys. Love would be a really great fit in a position of need for us. Late in the 3rd the RB run begins and I snatched up a guy who fits our versatility mold quite well. I think he could be a much better version of Mcguire and would spell Bell quite nicely. Beau was the last of the interior olineman with starter potential and I grabbed him while he was still available. After the Colts came up empty in the LB market (which is extremely thin in this class) they tossed us a 5th to secure Darron Lee, who will start for them. Our ROI is awful on that draft pick, but we are able to turn him into an asset that can help us. In the 5th I simply couldn’t pass up Renfrow. I love that dude. He may lack size, but he doesn’t lack hands, route running or that knack of just pissing off opponents. It’s been a long time since we had a pesky little bastard running around catching pass after pass. Renfrow gets to be our guy that infuriates opposing fan bases as he beats their team repeatedly despite peoples claims “he’s not even that good!” In the 6th, the board is getting thin, and there isn’t much talent left. So I opt for a run stuffing specialist that I imagine can learn quite well from Henry Anderson. Lastly I took another return man flyer in Anderson from North Dakota State. First off, that program is filled with championship pedigree (for a lower level program of course) and he was one of their biggest reasons why. Like Cannon a year ago, he has return ability and he might be able to make the roster as a replacement for Andre Roberts. By doubling up on WR and RB we now have crowded skill position rooms and all that competition should allow the cream to rise to the top to give us functional weapons to work with. With Bosa bolstering a weak pass rush, we should be able to take big strides forwards in 2019. With a spare 1st rounder in our pocket in 2020, we will have plenty of options to work with to help build a winner in the future.
Interesting. I like the first trade down. The second one, I'm less happy with as it seems a little greedy, but it would be nice to add an additional #1 for next year's draft. If the draft were to fall that way after trading down, Bosa would probably have to be the pick, but personally I'd rather have Brian Burns. I'm not a big fan of Bosa's. I might even prefer Jawaan Taylor over Bosa. If the Jets didn't make the trade down with the Chiefs, they could stay put and take Taylor at #6 and Brian Burns at #17. While I'd like to add Hakim Butler to our WR corps, I'd rather have Burns and Taylor. Another option would be to take Bosa at #6 and then take N'Keal Harry at #17. I like taking Jenkins with the 2nd round pick, or since Erik McCoy is still there, and he might be a better fit for the Jets, he could be the pick. BTW he's a C, not an OG. I didn't know anything about Julian Love, so I looked him up. He sounds like a decent prospect, but his lack of speed and physicality are a concern. David Long is almost identical in size to Love (both are 5'11, and Long ways one pound more than Love), but Long is much more physical, is faster and is excellent in press coverage. I think he's a better CB prospect than Love, so I'd swap out Love for Long. I find it hard to believe that Rock Ya-Sin would fall to the 3rd round, but if he's there at the Jets pick in the 3rd round, they'd almost have to take him, at least if they were committed to taking a CB there. Tytus Howard is still sitting there in your draft, however, and I think he might be a better pick. The Jets have no depth at all at LT, and we don't know for certain if Shell will be healthy and fully recovered. Howard would provide good insurance. Another possibility would be Ben Powers, OG. I love the Darrell Henderson pick. He's a real homerun threat. He might drop lower, however, so an alternative pick at that spot would be Chuma Edoga, OT, but think I'd rather have Henderson. I'm not about the Benzschawel pick. I watched the Sr. Bowl drills and think he was getting beat like a drum in one-on-one drills, but in fairness, it might have been his o-line mate from Wisconsin, Michael Dieter. At any rate, the Jets do need to draft an OG at some point in the 2nd-4th rounds. Still, a player I know I'd prefer over him is Mercole Hardman. He ran the 40 in 4.33 seconds. He has excellent hands and is a dangerous return man. I like Renfrow, but love Hardman. I think you have Hardman going way lower than he will. Two other players I'd probably take over Benschawel is Foster Moreau, TE and Isaiah Johnson, CB. I think you have Johnson way underrated. He will probably go in at least the 3rd round, and perhaps more likely, the 2nd round. Jaylon Ferguson, OLB would also merit some consideration. As I said before, I like Renfrow, but I also like Benny Snell, so that would be a tough decision for me. I think there are better prospects in the 6th than Dontavius Russell. I'd take Myles Gaskin, RB; Garrett Brumfield, OG ; or Germaine Pratt, ILB over Russell. IMO all three are rated way too low, but if they fell like you have them, I'd take Brumfield in the 6th (I think he is quite possibly much better than Benzschawel) and Pratt in the 7th round. Pratt could quite possibly replace Avery Williamson next year. I think my choices would be not to make the trade with the Chiefs. I'd take Jawaan Taylor at #6 as my future RT, and possibly LT. Even if Shell is healthy and back to form, Taylor could be better, and Shell could perhaps replace Winters at RG. Taylor could also be groomed to be Beacham's replacement next year or Shell's. At #17, I'd take Brian Burns. 6 - Jawaan Taylor, OT 17 - Brian Burns, OLB 37 - Elgton Jenkins, C or Erik McCoy, C 68 - Rock Ya-Sin, CB or David Long, CB 94 - Darrell Henderson, RB 106 - Foster Moreau, TE 165 - Mercole Hardman, WR/PR 198 - Garrett Brumfield, OG 219 - Germaine Pratt, ILB While I don't think this draft is realistic, because I don't think Ya-Sin will be there in the 3rd, Hardman in the 5th, Brumfield in the 6th or Pratt in the 7th, if things did fall this way, the Jets should have two future OL starters, and quite likely 3, the elite edge rusher they've been looking for for over a decade, quite possibly their new #2 CB, a great backup RB who is a homerun threat both as a rusher and a receiver, a very good TE who while a better blocker than a receiver, is no slouch as a receiver and would make a great complimentary pair with Herndon, and quite likely their other future starting ILB.
Trader Macc. I just don't see all the new pieces helping out. The Chiefs really made out as they moved up and unloaded a low first round pick in the process. They will be deep in the playoffs. That is not a trade partner I would deal with. Good job all around on the spreadsheet.
Thanks for the feedback. To start with, I will not claim to have watched tape on every prospect that got drafted (not even all the guys you mentioned) when doing something this massive, if you don’t want it to take a year (like scouts and GMs have for the next draft) you have to use someone else’s work. I leaned heavily on TDNs work, as I happen to agree with a significant amount of it. Sometimes it starts with finding a team fit, and how often do teams take a player and play him slightly out of position because he’s still a better option than anyone else? Also I will stress that I didn’t pre-set the Jets mock, I took guys and made moves based upon who’s available at the time. I firmly against drafting a guy you want to be your right tackle at 6 when there are too pass rushing options available. Which is why with Bosa is on the board I simply can’t pass that up. He’s the last truly elite prospect and there is no way we can’t walk away with one of the best players at a giant position of need in favor of a guy we want to be our RT. I get Taylor’s elite athleticism but I can’t take him at 6, especially by praying that I can get Burns at 17. But given that Bosa is in the fold at 6, if Burns is still there at 17, trading that pick still makes the most sense. Chiefs seem like a good fit to move up, they have shown they are ok giving up next years #1, they just traded away Ford and cut Houston. They need a top rushing option and if Burns falls to that area you better believe they are making calls. I think their window to win is not very big, they have age in key places and their cheat code of Tyreek Hill is not reliable off the field and might be in serious trouble with the incident for his kids arm. Even if that doesn’t sideline him, how long before he blows up in their face? Go get a top guy now, pay the bill later so you can put as much talent on the field as possible right now. In retrospect I should have asked for a mid rounder this year to get more value to us right now. But it’s a deal that helps put us in a great spot next year. Doesn’t it always seem like top teams have an extra first every couple years? Extra cheap talent would be astronomical for us next year when we will clearly still need pieces and have less money to spend next offseason, that deal is hard to down even if it’s a pick expected to be in the upper 20s. Butler is the big physical rebounding WR we need. I see 3 guys in the top portion of this class that fit that mold. We need one for Sam to complete the skill sets that this class has. Metcalf (who is too risky at the top), Butler and JJ Arcega Whiteside. Butler fits our needs and has the potential to be a big time target for us. If we don’t trade on draft day and Arcega-Whiteside is there at 68, he will be the pick IMO. As for McCoy I can see feeling he might be a better fit than Jenkins, but I won’t say I didnt consider it there. As for Henderson how in the world is a guy who averaged 8.9 yards per carry still available in the 3rd? Only in a league where the position is devalued and there is a huge pile of guys in the same cluster. RBs and WRs are going to fall on draft weekend because there are TONs of guys with mid round value, there simply isn’t of interior OL and DBs, and the whole league is starved for both. Which leads me to a guy like Beau going in the 4th. He’s a 5-6 round prospect, but after him there is barely anybody else in the conversation for interior OL that deserves to even be drafted. If I didn’t get him there and went elsewhere I wasn’t taking an interior OL. Tytus Howard is an interesting prospect. He’s got game, but that small a school and that much of a competition bump is terrifying to me, a team that needs contributors now. Passing means OT isn’t really addressed in the draft, but I’m not sure drafting is helping me this year. Is he even ready to be swing tackle depth in year one? Or is he a roster spot this year in hopes he’s a swing tackle in year two and a possible starter year 3? We don’t have that long to wait IMO, not to pass on Henderson. Hardman is an interesting case. The guy has wheels and return ability. But his production does not show up over the course of the season. Why? Is it sloppy route running? Is it the fact Georgia is terrible at getting him the ball? How much of that lack of production over two years is Riley Ridleys fault? Or is Ridley the only reason Hardman is getting the ball that often, and as a top option he isn’t winning very often? I don’t dislike Hardman. But he won’t be that pesky bastard that Renfrow will be. That dude will win in the slot and he will do it at a rate that blows people’s mind. Want a better Jeremy kerley? Want a guy that reminds people of Chrebet with his glue hands and big plays 3rd down after 3rd down? That’s Renfrow. Hardman is going to be a straight line speed guy for some team, filling the role Robby Anderson already does for us. And I don’t think he will do it as well. But you are definitely right speed kills, and someone will take him higher than I think he should go.
My personal philosophy In the late rounds is that you are not drafting a potential starter. Most 5,6 and 7 round picks are off your team in 2-3 seasons, not even finishing their rookie contract with you. If you are counting on Germaine Pratt to be your replacement for Williamson you need to take him a hell of a lot higher. You are drafting those guys to fill a role right now and then you pray like hell they develop into long term depth. If you get more that’s a huge win. My point is if you have that much conviction in a guy you don’t wait that long to draft him. If you don’t someone else will. If you are naive enough to think that you are the only team that thinks that highly of a guy, and can wait until the 7th to take him to be your future starter, that gm is crazy. In the 6th and 7th I grabbed two guys with eyes on being special teams contributors with a hope for more. Last year cannon was supposed to use his speed as a return man. Well he couldn’t handle it. He became a gunner instead. Anderson is our next shot at a return man. He also can be a RB contributor, at least as much as Cannon a year ago. That pick is a battle between those two guys for a roster spot, winner stays, loser heads to the practice squad. As for Russel, we need DL depth in this draft too. It’s not just Quinnen Williams at 3 purely because he’s an elite prospect, we need a guy there as well. So with Russel on the board, a run stuffing specialist who played on several phases of special teams at Auburn, who I can put behind Henry Anderson on the field and in the film room. Maybe he joins the rotation at some point for more than a handful of snaps ala Fatukasi from a year ago. All in all each person has a different mindset and you don’t know how a draft will unfold until you are in the middle of it. You are trying to make the best picks you can for your group. Glad to have some discussion about the draft. It takes a lot of effort to build one of these and I’m excited to to have some discussion around it. I know it’s not all good, but I tried to match scheme to player, and some players in my eyes are scheme specific and as such need the right team to take them. The less scheme diverse the player the more limited their options and that causes some guys to slide (like Ya-Sin) more than you think their overall talent would dictate. Glad for the feedback
You're welcome. I had fun reading and responding to your post and the draft that was set up. I agree with your statement about drafting a RT when there are pass rushing options available. I even said that if Bosa's there you probably have to take him. I don't know about praying that Burns is there, but it would be risky. As a GM you'd have to be pretty certain that no team between #6 and #17 would be looking to take Burns there. I just saw that in that draft Burns was still there, so be able to add Taylor and Burns was too good an option, but it you were in such a draft, you'd have to take Bosa if you had a need at edge rusher. I like Butler a LOT. It was hard for me to pass on the trade down and thus on him Getting a 1st next year in a draft loaded with LT prospects, WRs and RBs would be too good to pass up as well. Jenkins has been my favorite C all along, but am starting to waiver and move more towards Bradbury or McCoy. I totally agree with your comment about RBs and WRs being the best mid-round value, and there is a lot of depth in both classes. I understand being reluctant to go with Howard. He is from a small school, but he did very well at the Sr. Bowl. He held his own against some of the big time edge rushers. I think he could serve as the backup LT this year, but Henderson is probably the better prospect and could definitely contribute this season, whereas it might take a year or two for Howard. Hardman's lack of production was due primarily to his being new to the WR position. He played DB in college. He has great hands, and the reviews I read on him is that he is likely to learn and develop quickly in the NFL. Even if it took him most of his rookie season, he is the exact type of WR the Jets are looking for, someone with big time YAC ability. He will be an elite playmaker in the NFL. I think there's a very good chance he goes in the 2nd round, but if not, at least in the 3rd. He's an excellent returner, and is a threat to score any time he touches the ball. Again, even if he didn't contribute all that much on offense his rookie season (which I think he will), he would contribute big time on STs. IMO you're wrong about Hardman being a straight line speed guy. I also think you overestimate what Renfrow will do in the NFL. I saw Clemson play a LOT, and like Renfrow, but he has little or no ceiling, and isn't nearly the player that Hardman will be in a year.
You're right that potential starters don't often come from the late rounds, but that draft is wrong with where they have Brumfield and Pratt rated imo. I think Pratt will likely go in the 2nd round, and Brumfield the 3rd or 4th round. I was just pointing out that if those players fell that far, then you have to take them. I wasn't saying that I'd wait that long to draft them. I was just going by how The Draft Network had them rated, and it is totally wrong on Pratt, and I think they are wrong on Brumfield as well. Why would I take a player in that draft in the 2nd round when The Draft Network saw them as a 7th round pick? I disagree that we need DL depth. We have Foley Fautkasi and Shepherd. With all the DTs being drafted, there will be camp cuts that we can sign for depth. Russell isn't even that good of a prospect. He plays too upright and can't keep his pad level low. If they haven't been able to fix that over 4 years at Auburn, I have my doubts that he will be able to fix that in the NFL. There is also a rumor floating that the Bucs might be interested in trading DT Gerald McCoy to the Jets for Lee. I'd do that in a NY minute. Again, good work and thanks for doing it. I enjoyed the discussion.
A lot of nice work went into this...thanks! Love getting Bosa a 6. Just curious why we'd trade a 2019 1st round pick (#19) for a 2020 1st round pick (?#)? Especially with KC most likely to have a late 1st round pick. Is there more to this trade that I missed?
We did get #29 this year plus the 2020 #1. The idea is KC needs a rusher right now and they want to keep their 2 #2s this year to try and improve the talent enough to win it all. So we settle for a #1 next year. We aren’t truly competing yet, so to stockpile top picks next year will really help us with the long term build. In retrospect I think a GM would require something else this year like a 4th this year and kick back a 5 next year, so that we get the added long term benefit but also some short term satisfaction to go with it. Overall next year is a tackle heavy class and we need to acquire some top OL next year. Having two bites at the Apple in the first next year (or the ammo to trade up for an elite player) really improves our chances of stepping up big time in 2020
Ah got ya. I was also thinking about trading for the 'Cards 2019 2nd round pic (#33) for our 2020 1st (plus their 2020 2nd). If we do good this year and our 2020 1st is in the twenties, it's not that big of a loss to trade THAT for the 'Cards #33 this year. Plus we'd get their 2020 2nd. lol there's so many possibilities. I like urs better!
You put a lot of effort into this and for that you should be applauded. I also enjoyed reading it for whatever it’s worth. If Mac was able to pull this off I’d be ready to build him a statue outside Florham Park. For one thing I don’t see any way the Giants are giving up the two first rd picks this year. Maybe a trade can be made with Giants for the 6, 2nd and pick next year but the likelihood of pulling off a trade with Giants is very slim. If by some miracle that trade was made it is completely unrealistic to hope Bosa makes it to 6, Allen would have a slight chance but no way on Bosa. Fun read but no at all realistic.
Is it that unrealistic though? Certainly a long shot, but not any stranger than Leonard Williams or Jamal Adams being there at 6. If he gets by San Fran, he gets to 3 and then if we trade out he gets to four. Oakland in this scenario opted for the versatility and 3-4 OLB readiness of Allen. Something several of our posters think is the right choice. Then Tampa could easily take Bosa, but they desperately need a LB to take Keon Alexander’s place. There are people who think Devin white is just as good a prospect as the pass rushers, but he plays a less impactful position. The Bucs could easily see him as their guy. Or you have the scenario of the Raiders taking a QB after a team trades to 3 and then both Bosa and Allen are on the board at 5 meaning one falls to us at 6. Is it a long shot? Sure is. But I actually think Bosa will be a Jet or a 49er unless we trade back beyond the Giants.
