Andrew Aziz’s NFL Mock Draft 1.0 (2 Rounds)

Here is my thinking when it comes to mock drafting:

• I put myself in the shoes of each General Manager, which means that I take a different approach to each pick depending on the team. Some teams are need-based and others are pure BPA (best player available), so that factors into my decision making.
• I don’t always agree with my picks even though that sounds very odd. For example, I don’t think the Texans should take Deshaun Watson in the first round, but I know Watson will end up going in the first round and Houston needs a quarterback so it makes sense.
• I try and research which teams have been interviewing certain players. If I find out a team has interviewed Player A, then I’m more likely to mock that player to that team than a similar player who did not visit with the team.
• These mock drafts do not necessarily reflect my player rankings. Team fit plays a big part in my process.
• NOTE: I project that the Malcolm Butler trade will happen, so the Patriots have the 32nd overall pick in this mock draft.

1^st Round

1^st Overall Pick – Cleveland Browns

Myles Garrett – Edge Defender – Texas A&M

Don’t screw this up Cleveland! Cleveland needs to start pressuring the quarterback and Garrett can be a 10+ sack guy immediately.

2^nd Overall Pick – San Francisco 49ers

Rueben Foster – Inside Linebacker – Alabama

Foster is the best inside linebacker to come out of college since Luke Kuechly, and he’s someone you can build your defense around. The 49ers badly need help on defense, so teaming up Foster with Bowman can help turn that defense around.

3^rd Overall Pick – Chicago Bears

Jonathan Allen – Interior Defensive Lineman – Alabama

The Bears don’t have much talent up front on defense, but Allen can change that pretty quickly. He’s deadly in one-on-one situations and he could get a lot of one-on-ones in that Bears defense with Goldman clogging up the middle.

4^th Overall Pick – Jacksonville Jaguars

Malik Hooker – Safety – Ohio State

The Jaguars just lost their starting safety (Cyprien), so why not replace him with an aggressive, athletic and talented safety from a top school? Hooker is raw, but he has the tools to become a top 5 safety in the NFL. He and Ramsay can be deadly in that secondary.

5^th Overall Pick – Tennessee Titans

Mike Williams – Wide Receiver – Clemson

The Titans are trying to create an explosive offense, so it makes sense to go with an explosive player in Mike Williams who is fantastic at hauling 50/50 balls. He often saved Deshaun Watson.

6^th Overall Pick – New York Jets

O.J. Howard – Tight End – Alabama

The Jets desperately need a playmaker on offense. Their best (and only) playmaker, Eric Decker, is currently injured and his status for the beginning of 2017 is still up in the air. O.J. Howard is one of the best tight ends to come out in the last few seasons. He possesses a rare combination of athleticism and speed on top of having great blocking ability. He is one of the can’t-miss players in this draft (maybe the only can’t miss player).

7^th Overall Pick – Los Angeles Chargers

Ryan Ramczyk – Offensive Tackle – Wisconsin

Ramczyk is the best offensive lineman in this year’s draft and the Chargers need offensive line help, so whether you believe this is a reach or not, this is a necessary pick for the Chargers.

8^th Overall Pick – Carolina Panthers

Dalvin Cook – Running Back – Florida State

Jonathan Stewart is on his last legs and the Panthers need a new dynamic element on their offense. Enter Dalvin Cook who is a smart, patient and explosive runner who can easily break 1200 yards in his first season.

9^th Overall Pick – Cincinnati Bengals

Tim Williams – Edge Defender – Alabama

Reach? Williams has top 12 talent, but many have questions about him off the field. Considering Marv Lewis’ history with selecting/signing players with attitude problems, I think Williams should fit in just fine.

10^th Overall Pick – Buffalo Bills

Jabrill Peppers – Safety / Linebacker – Michigan

Peppers is a versatile player and is the type of player that Sean McDermott loves (look at the Shaq Thompson pick a couple of years ago). Peppers can be an immediate contributor as a safety or a linebacker.

11^th Overall Pick – New Orleans Saints

DeShone Kizer – Quarterback – Notre Dame

Whether you believe Kizer is the best quarterback in this year’s draft, we’ve seen years where teams reach for quarterbacks based on that player’s fit with the franchise. Kizer fits well with the Saints offense and he could become Drew Brees’ heir once Brees is gone in a couple of seasons. Kizer has a strong arm and has experience in a pro style offense, which is a big bonus in the Saints’ system.

12^th Overall Pick – Cleveland Browns

Soloman Thomas – Edge Defender / 5 Tech Defensive Lineman – Stanford

Thomas is not only the best player on the board (at this point in the draft), but he fills a big need for the Browns who need front 7 help. Thomas may be a tad undersized for the 5-technique position in the NFL, but he was a dominant force in college at that spot. If he gains a bit of muscle, he could be a dominant force at the 5-tech spot in the NFL too.

13^th Overall Pick – Arizona Cardinals

Marshon Lattimore – Cornerback – Ohio State

The Cardinals need some help on defense and they should start by getting a good complimentary cornerback to Patrick Peterson. Lattimore is extremely athletic and is very good as a press cornerback, making him a perfect fit in the Cardinals’ defense.

14^th Overall Pick – Philadelphia Eagles

Quincy Wilson – Cornerback – Florida

The Eagles desperately need to shore up their back end, especially the cornerback spot. Their offense is in a good place so they need to focus on their defense. Wilson may not be a #1 cornerback right now, but he can contribute immediately as a #2 guy for the Eagles.

15^th Overall Pick – Indianapolis Colts

Takkarist McKinley – Edge Defender – UCLA

The Colts haven’t had a good pass rusher in a few years and they’ve invested a lot of money into their front 7 this offseason. It’s time to find an explosive pass rusher who’s quick to get out of his stance and who can terrorize backfields. He has a ton of potential and if he develops properly, he could become a perennial pro bowler.

16^th Overall Pick – Baltimore Ravens

Corey Davis – Wide Receiver – Central Michigan

Davis is arguably the best receiver in this year’s class as he’s a fantastic route runner and has a great football IQ. The Ravens badly need a receiver and they need to start adding talented skill players, especially with Steve Smith gone.

17^th Overall Pick – Washington Redskins

Leonard Fournette – Running Back – LSU

The Redskins probably don’t want to go with Rob Kelley as their starting running back in 2017 and with their quarterback’s future up in the air, they may need a running game sooner rather than later.

18^th Overall Pick – Tennessee Titans

Teez Tabor – Cornerback – Florida

The Titans secondary was putrid last season and even with the addition of Logan Ryan, they should still use a draft pick on a cornerback. Tabor is, to some, the best cornerback in the draft and can be a great rotational, nickel package player to start his career.

19^th Overall Pick – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

David Njoku – Tight End – Miami (Fla.)

Njoku stands out on tape as he makes a lot of impressive catches and breaks through every tackle. He sounds like a perfect complimentary player to Mike Evans and Desean Jackson as he can win a lot underneath in the short and intermediate areas of the field.

20^th Overall Pick – Denver Broncos

Dan Feeney – Offensive Guard – Indiana

The Broncos need offensive line help and Feeney is a steady, consistent rock that can start and have an impact immediately. He is a phone-booth type of guard and will do his damage in the trenches, but not as a pulling guard. He should fit in well in Mike McCoy’s system.

21^st Overall Pick – Detroit Lions

Jamal Adams – Safety – LSU

The more I watch tape on Adams, the more I realize he isn’t as good as Hooker or even Jabrill Peppers. Adams is a good player in the box and can be a big help in run support for the Lions, who could use a playmaker on defense.

22^nd Overall Pick – Miami Dolphins

Haason Reddick – Inside Linebacker / Edge Defender – Temple

Reddick is too small to play on the edge, but he can definitely contribute as a WILL/weak-side linebacker who comes downhill a lot. The Dolphins need to add some playmakers on defense, so Reddick is a good start.

23^rd Overall Pick – New York Giants

Forrest Lamp – Offensive Guard – Western Kentucky

The Giants don’t have many good offensive linemen. Richburg is great and Pugh can get the job done, but that’s about it. They need to start rebuilding that offensive line, otherwise their high powered offense will never get off the ground. Going with Lamp will allow their interior offensive line to excel.

24^th Overall Pick – Oakland Raiders

Derek Barnett – Edge Defender – Tennessee

You can never have enough pass rushers! While edge defender may not be a big need on the Raiders due to the presence of Khalil Mack, they could still use a good complimentary edge defender. Barnett was extremely productive in college and is a perfect fit in the Raiders’ defense.

25^th Overall Pick – Houston Texans

Deshaun Watson – Quarterback – Clemson

While I have a 2^nd round grade on Watson, I have no doubt that he’ll be selected in the first round due to his popularity and the crazy demand for a quarterback. The Texans traded away Osweiler and I’m sure they’re not content with Tom Savage as their long-term starter. With Watson, they get their long-term option; all he needs is a couple of years of development and he could become a top 10 quarterback in the NFL.

26^th Overall Pick – Seattle Seahawks

Garett Bolles – Offensive Tackle/Guard – Utah

It’s no secret that the Seahawks need help along their offensive line. They selected Germain Ifedi last year and they need to go with another offensive lineman this year. Bolles is a good, gritty player who can start immediately at right tackle for the Seahawks.

27^th Overall Pick – Kansas City Chiefs

Mitch Trubisky – Quarterback – North Carolina

Trubisky isn’t ready to become a starting quarterback and will need at least 2 years of development. The Chiefs have the right staff to develop Trubisky and he can take over the starting job from Alex Smith in a couple of years if he progresses properly.

28^th Overall Pick – Dallas Cowboys

Charles Harris – Edge Defender – Missouri

The Cowboys need pass rushers if they want to make a Super Bowl run. Harris is an explosive, 4-3 defensive end who should in perfectly in the Cowboys’ defense. He could/should start right away for the Cowboys.

29^th Overall Pick – Green Bay Packers

Ryan Anderson – Edge Defender – Alabama

Anderson is an intelligent player who reads plays extremely well. He doesn’t possess the best body and isn’t a super athlete, but he gets the job done and can be very effective in the NFL in the right system. He should fit in well in the Packers’ 3-4 system as the strong-side outside linebacker.

30^th Overall Pick – Pittsburgh Steelers

Raekwon McMillan – Inside Linebacker – Ohio State

The Steelers lost Lawrence Timmons (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing), but they need to find someone to replace him. McMillan is an underrated inside linebacker who could serve extremely well in a complimentary role to Ryan Shazier. The Steelers love picking front 7 players in the first round, so McMillan fits that bill!

31^st Overall Pick – Atlanta Falcons

Taco Charlton – Edge Defender – Michigan

Vic Beasley broke out last season, but he needs a friend on the other side of the line. Charlton has been a big contributor for the Wolverines the last few seasons and could become a very good complimentary player for the Falcons.

32^nd Overall Pick – New England Patriots (via trade)

Malik McDowell – Interior Defensive Lineman – Michigan State

The Patriots love taking risks in the draft and McDowell is definitely a risk. He is a super talented player who dominated in one-on-one matchups. The problem is his effort level is inconsistent and he needs to have a fire under him to perform. He should do well with Bill Belichick…

2^nd Round

33^rd Overall Pick – Cleveland Browns

Zach Cunningham – Inside Linebacker – Vanderbilt

34^th Overall Pick – San Francisco 49ers

Tre’Davious White – Cornerback – LSU

35^th Overall Pick – Jacksonville Jaguars

Caleb Brantley – Interior Defensive Lineman – Florida

36^th Overall Pick – Chicago Bears

Cam Robinson – Offensive Tackle – Alabama

37^th Overall Pick – Los Angeles Rams

Zay Jones – Wide Receiver – East Carolina

38^th Overall Pick – Los Angeles Chargers

John Ross – Wide Receiver – Washington

39^th Overall Pick – New York Jets

Gareon Conley – Cornerback – Ohio State

40^th Overall Pick – Carolina Panthers

Jordan Willis – Edge Defender – Kansas State

41^st Overall Pick – Cincinnati Bengals

Carlos Watkins – Interior Defensive Lineman – Clemson

42^nd Overall Pick – New Orleans Saints

Budda Baker – Safety / Cornerback – Washington

43^rd Overall Pick – Philadelphia Eagles

Christian McCaffrey – Running Back – Stanford

44^th Overall Pick – Buffalo Bills

Evan Engram – Tight End – Ole Miss

45^th Overall Pick – Arizona Cardinals

Carl Lawson – Edge Defender – Auburn

46^th Overall Pick – Indianapolis Colts

Jarrad Davis – Inside Linebacker – Florida

47^th Overall Pick – Baltimore Ravens

Alvin Kamara – Running Back – Tennessee

48^th Overall Pick – Minnesota Vikings

Joe Mixon – Running Back – Oklahoma

49^th Overall Pick – Washington Redskins

Brad Kaaya – Quarterback – Miami (Fla.)

50^th Overall Pick – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Montravius Adams – Interior Defensive Lineman – Auburn

51^st Overall Pick – Denver Broncos

Sidney Jones – Cornerback – Washington

52^nd Overall Pick – Cleveland Browns

Patrick Mahomes – Quarterback – Texas Tech

53^rd Overall Pick – Detroit Lions

Dawuane Smoot – Edge Defender – Illinois

54^th Overall Pick – Miami Dolphins

Marlon Humphrey – Cornerback – Alabama

55^th Overall Pick – New York Giants

Jordan Leggett – Tight End – Clemson

56^th Overall Pick – Oakland Raiders

Cordrea Tankersley – Cornerback – Clemson

57^th Overall Pick – Houston Texans

Dion Dawkins – Offensive Guard – Temple

58^th Overall Pick – Seattle Seahawks

Joe Mathis – Edge Defender – Washington

59^th Overall Pick – Kansas City Chiefs

Jamaal Williams – Running Back – BYU

60^th Overall Pick – Dallas Cowboys

Adoree’ Jackson – Cornerback – USC

61^st Overall Pick – Green Bay Packers

Desmond King – Safety – Iowa

62^nd Overall Pick – Pittsburgh Steelers

Obi Melifonwu – Safety – Connecticut

63^rd Overall Pick – Atlanta Falcons

Bucky Hodges – Tight End – Virginia Tech

64^th Overall Pick – Carolina Panthers

Cooper Kupp – Wide Receiver – Eastern Washington