Renny Thomas’ Mock Draft 1.0

 

Pick #11: Cincinnati Bengals- Devin Bush, Inside Linebacker, University of Michigan

 

With Vontaze Burflict moving on to Oakland this offseason, the Bengals will be looking to draft his replacement in Michigan’s Devin Bush.  Bush is a middle linebacker with outstanding athleticism and speed that allows him to cover a lot of ground. He is a very good in both man to man and zone pass coverage and has pretty good instincts as a pass rusher.  He lacks size which makes defending inside rushes difficult but he has the motor to make plays despite his size limitations.

 

Pick #12: Green Bay Packers – D.K Metcalf, Wide Receiver, University of Mississippi

 

 

Aaron Rodgers is 35 years old heading into this upcoming season and the Packers need to get him some help and soon.  That help could come in the form of Mississippi receiver D.K Metcalf, the player who wowed the NFL combine with a 4.33 40 yard dash time at 6’3” and 228 pounds.   That 40 yard dash time (video above), which blew scouts away at the combine, put him on the national radar despite relateively meager college production (just 65 catches in two injury plagued seasons).  In Metcalf, football minds see almost limitless potential.  If the Packers can properly develop him, combined with a quarterback who can make any throw, Metcalf could be special.

 

Pick #13: Miami Dolphins – Daniel Jones, Quarterback, Duke University

 

The Miami Dolphins are in full blown rebuilding mode and with a QB depth chart with names such as Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jake Rudock, and Luke Falk, they Dolphins will be looking to draft a long term solution at quarterback. Jones is a quarterback with size and intelligence who has good touch.  He is a player with good pocket presence who would be given the time and patience to grow into an effective player with Fitzpatrick likely starting the season.

 

Pick #14: Atlanta Falcons – Greedy Williams, Cornerback, Louisiana State University

 

With the exception of cornerback Desmond Trufant, the Falcons secondary definitely could use some help.  With Greedy Williams, they will get a player with plenty of length and speed. He is a strong man-coverage corner who has an excellent closing burst.  He will need to work on his tackling ability, as he is definitely a player who avoids physical play if he can.

 

Pick #15: Washington Redskins – Brian Burns, Defensive End, Florida State University

This pick is made with the assumption that Kyler Murray will be the number one overall pick and that the Washington Redskins are the beneficiaries of the Josh Rosen sweepstakes.  Even if the Redskins don’t trade for Rosen, they will be better served going into the season with what they have at QB and building everywhere else. In that spirit, the Redskins should look to add to their burgeoning pass rush, by drafting Brian Burns from Florida State University.  Burns produced 65 QB pressures last season (second in major college football) with an elite burst off the line. He will need to develop as a run blocker in order to be a three down player but he will be a nice addition to a defensive line that already has Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne.

 

 

Pick #16: Carolina Panthers – Clelin Ferrell, Defensive End, Clemson University

 

The Panthers are in desperate need of a pass rush, as they ranked 27th in the NFL in sacks last season and will look to address that by drafting Clemson’s Clelin Ferrell.  Ferrell was a productive defensive end in college with 27 sacks in 44 games and will look to carry this production to the NFL. His flexibility at being able to play with his hands down in a 4-3 formation or out in space in a 3-4 makes him a wonderful addition to a Panthers defensive line in need of talent.

 

Pick #17: New York Giants – Dwayne Haskins, Quarterback, The Ohio State University

 

The New York Giants need to find a successor for Eli Manning and if Dwayne Haskins is available at this spot in the draft, they should take him.  Haskins put up elite level production in his one year as the starter at Ohio State with 50 touchdowns and a 70 percent completion percentage. He has prototypical size and a strong arm and can throw the deep ball pretty well.  Haskins will have the time to grow into the position with Manning still leading the charge and Haskins can transition into the starting job when ready.

 

Pick #18: Minnesota Vikings – Jonah Williams, Offensive Tackle, University of Alabama

 

The Vikings have been in desperate need of offensive line help and the Vikings should look to Williams to be an immediate upgrade.  While he may not have the athleticism to play at left tackle like he did at Alabama but should be able to immediately slot into a guard position or at right tackle.  He should help both quarterback Kirk Cousins and running back Dalvin Cook take off this season.

 

Pick #19: Tennessee Titans – T.J Hockenson, Tight End, University of Iowa

 

Delanie Walker turns 35 this year and the Titans sorely need another top end pass catcher for Marcus Mariota, as the Titans were just 27th in scoring last year.  In Hockenson, the Titans will get the most complete tight end in the draft class, with an outstanding combination of size, speed and athleticism. Getting Hockenson this late in the draft will be a steal for the Titans.

 

Pick #20: Pittsburgh Steelers – DeAndre Baker, Cornerback, University of Georgia

 

While Pittsburgh has lost twp offensive stars in the past year in Le’veon Bell and Antonio Brown, the Steelers have the depth on offense to offset these losses.  On Defense, however, there is a serious lack of talent, most notably in the secondary. Baker is an instinctive defender who should find himself starting opposite of cornerback Joe Haden pretty early into his career.