NFL Draft: First round mock for all 32 teams

Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announces the number one overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announces the number one overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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Hey, fans! In this article, I will run through who I expect each team to pick in the first round of the NFL Draft.

I took the time to compile a mock draft ahead of the NFL Draft on Thursday and here it is. Be sure to check out who the Philadelphia Eagles may pick as well as where Temple product Hasson Reddick may land. Without further ado, let’s get picking!

53. All signs point to the Browns selecting Garrett here. He is a game changing end that the Browns hope can deliver 15-20 sacks per year. Denver has shown that you can win games with an elite defence and this is a piece to build around for the Browns. With no clear #1 QB in this draft, Cleveland is left taking the best prospect available. You would have to think if there is a QB the Browns fall in love with they are hoping he falls to them at 12, or they use an extra pick to move up from 12 to get him earlier. Keep in mind; they could be planning on packaging pick 12 and then some, to try to get Jimmy Garoppolo from New England.. Defensive End. Texas A&M. Myles Garrett. 1. player

42. I know everyone is predicting Solomon Thomas the end from Stanford here but I disagree. The 49ers have used their last 2 first round picks on the Defensive Line with the boys from Oregon. With Aaron Lynch, Armstead and Buckner I would hope those guys can create enough pressure for the secondary to make some plays as is. Eric Reid who is often injured is a fine big hitting Safety but I think the 49ers should go with a playmaker here. Adams has been compared to Ed Reed, and as I don’t see him being an all-around hall of famer like Reed, Adams is still a player that can change the game with INTS and forced fumbles plus an ability to cover. A possible Defensive rookie of the year candidate, Adams is 2nd pick in this year’s draft.. Safety. LSU. Jamal Adams. 2. player

Tight End. Alabama. OJ Howard. 3. player. 57. O.J Howard is the best pass catcher in the entire draft in my opinion. If you are the Bears, you found Jordan Howard, you signed Mike Glennon and lost Alshon Jeffrey. In order to win, they will need to surround Glennon with another weapon or two. Howard’s stock has been rising and he is a safe security blanket for the new QB in Chicago. I don’t see the value in a Defensive Lineman here as they have a few good young pieces in Bullard and Floyd from last year’s draft.

Running Back. LSU. Leonard Fournette. 4. player. 52. The Jaguars are going to stand behind Blake Bortles for at least one more season. Surrounding him with enough talent to win has been hit or miss for the Jaguars as of late. They brought in a whole bunch of above average pass catchers but the one thing the Jags have been missing since MJD and Fred Taylor is an effective run game. As I am not as high on Fournette as some are, you can’t deny his production at LSU. He was an absolute beast, and if he can turn those 3rd and 9s into 3rd and 3s the Jaguars, again, could be a dark horse to win the AFC south. Their defence is loaded with young productive players and I don’t think it makes sense to add another top tier defensive prospect with all the high picks they’ve spent in previous years.

player. 35. The Titans have built a pretty decent roster throughout the draft in recent years. Focusing on the offensive side of the ball has been working, but if they want to make the jump to winning division titles they will need to address the defence. With no stand out stars, other than an aging Brian Orakpo, and the recent departure of Jason McCourty the Titans will want a top tier CB to cover the likes of Allen Robinson, T.Y Hilton and DeAndre Hopkins. Lattimore can cover zone and man, and has above average ball skills. He is a perfect pick for a team knocking on the playoffs door, but missing a few key pieces on their defence.. Cornerback. Ohio State. Marshon Lattimore. 5

UNC. Mitchell Trubisky,. 6. player. 30. What are the Jets doing? Are they rebuilding? Are they making a playoff push? Is Josh Mccowan any type of answer? They release Brandon Marshall, but keep Matt Forte? There is nothing positive coming out of New Jersey regarding Petty or Hackenburg that suggests they are “the guy” for the Jets. The Jets hate playing second fiddle to the Giants in New York, therefore I see them selecting Trubisky here. He is the QB with the most upside in my opinion, having only started 13 games at Carolina. He has a live arm, great size and above average speed. If the Jets can let him guy sit for a season and develop they could end up with their much needed franchise QB.. Quarterback

Stanford. Solomon Thomas. 7. player. 13. The Chargers offense has been pretty good with a steady Rivers, and Keenan Allen should be back for the season opener. Although there is a need along the offensive line, there is no one with enough value to grab here at 7. I could see the Chargers trading out of this spot for a team looking to move up to grab a QB, but if LA stays here I think they will go with the best player available and draft Soloman Thomas. Bosa was a breakout player for them last year and no one projected him going to the Chargers. I see them adding another versatile defensive lineman to the mix and the Chargers are building a roster based on the Broncos model.. Defensive End

Safety. Ohio State. Malik Hooker. 8. player. 87. The Panthers have invested a lot of money into their front 4, they still have their top linebackers and when they made it to the Super Bowl, they had a great secondary. Hooker is a playmaker in the back end, can cover, hit and attack the football. I can’t remember the last great safety for the Panthers, and they are hoping they can get pressure on the QB so Hooker can make plays like he did at Ohio State. They will be tempted to take Dalvin Cook here, as the Panthers have old, often injured Jon Stewart, but there are plenty of running backs to take on day 2.

Defensive End / Defensive Tackle. Alabama. Jonathan Allen. 9. player. 56. The Bengals have lost a lot of talent the last couple years and the when the Bengals are most dominant it’s when Peko, Geno Atkins, and Dunlap are going full throttle. Atkins hasn’t been the same since he tore up his knee a few seasons ago and Dunlap has a few years left playing at an elite level. Allen will give the Bengals versatility to stuff the run and rush the passer. Type “Jonathan Allen Superman” into youtube and you will see why this guy is going to be a top 10 pick. Some are worried about his shoulder injury, but Allen is a top 5 prospect if he slips the Bengals should pull the trigger here.

Marlon Humphrey. 10. player. 16. Buffalo hired a new coach this year and with that, I could see the Bills trying to build their defense the way Sean Mcdermott did in Carolina. The front seven played pretty well last year and they sunk their first two picks last year into the front 7 as well. With losing Gilmore this offseason to the Patriots I could see the Bills taking the top corner available in Humphrey. Carolina’s defense played its best with Josh Norman, and while I’m not saying Humphrey is the next Norman, he does have similar traits. Humphrey is a polished prospect that doesn’t shy away from hits. He would be a day one starter for the Bills, who need secondary help.. Cornerback. Alabama

Running Back. Stanford. Christian McCaffrey,. 11. player. 15. The Saints only have one or two more years left with Drew Brees and they will go as far as he will take them. The Saints lost a lot of versatility when Darren Sproles departed a few years ago and they traded Jimmy Graham and Brandon Cooks. If the Saints want to help Brees out they should take McCaffrey, the do it all RB from Stanford. McCaffrey has some of the best hands in the draft and can be a weapon out of the backfield for Brees and the Saints. Mark Ingram has some miles on him and they recently let Tim Hightower walk. McCaffrey has been moving up draft boards and I think this is a sneaky high-value pick for the Saints and their offense.

Related Story: Eagles: Drafting Christian McCaffrey would be a mistake

Kevin King . 12. player. 53. It’s hard to tell what the Browns are thinking here at pick 12. I don’t think Watson or Kizer are worthy of a top 12 pick, and I don’t see the Browns reaching on a QB just because they “have to.” Regardless of what QB they select in this draft, he is going to have to wait. Kevin King’s stock has shot up since his pro day. The Browns are using a lot of analytics to draft recently and the value and players at linebacker don’t add up here and they already will take a defensive end if my predictions are correct. Joe Haden might have converted to safety and the Browns still have to cover Antonio Brown and AJ Green.. Cornerback. Washington

32. The Cardinals are convinced Carson Palmer is still a productive QB and can lead them to the playoffs. If this is the case they will need to add another weapon on offense. Another player whose stock has risen is John Ross, largely due to running a 4.22 in the 40 at the combine; everyone has moved Ross up the board. Bruce Arians loves running deep routes and there is no one more suited to take the top off a defense than Ross. With John Brown and Ross on the outside and Larry Fitz in the slot, it will be up to Palmer to get them back atop the NFC West.. Wide Receiver. Washington. John Ross. 13. player

player. 54. The Eagles secondary was poor last year, as the Leodis McKelvin experiment didn’t work out and as the year went on their secondary continued to get exposed. It’s hard to pass on Mike Williams and Corey Davis here but the Eagles did a nice job surrounding Wentz with weapons signing Torrey Smith and Alshon Jeffrey to help him develop. Conley is another great prospect in Ohio State’s back end that can help right away in the nickel with a plan to start him in the future.. Cornerback. Ohio State. Gareon Conley. 14

Related Story: Jim Schwartz’s Cornerback Tendencies

player. 46. The Colts defense has been underperforming for a couple years but it will be hard for them to pass on a top tier running back here. Cook is a workhorse that can take some of the pressure away from Luck. The Colts have plenty of holes to fill but the most important thing is to give as much help as they can to Luck with a skill position. I don’t understand trading away Dwayne Allen but they still have plenty of pass catchers. Colts will need to address the defense later on in the draft.. Running Back. Florida State. Dalvin Cook. 15

Defensive End. Michigan. Taco Charlton. 16. player. 26. The Ravens have always tried to have an elite defense. With Suggs aging and injury prone they need an end that can get to the QB and also stop the run. Charlton has moved up boards the last couple weeks and with the Harbaugh connection, the Ravens will get all the inside information they need to draft Taco here. Charlton can learn from one of the greats and be a plug and play guy for the Ravens. If they want to be at the top of the AFC North they will have to get to Big Ben and knock him down.

18. player. 35. I think the Titans will be holding their breath for Williams or Davis to fall to them. Marriota has done a fantastic job with the mediocre wideouts he has been given thus far and here is the chance to give him a true #1 WR. Williams didn’t run at the combine due to thoughts that his QB Deshaun Watson would run faster than he would, but, when Williams ran at his pro day he quelled all the concerns. Williams has above average straight line speed, can win one on ones and is a great hands catcher that will go up top over corners for the completion. Williams will be a great red zone complement with Delanie Walker to help Marriota become an elite QB we all hope he becomes.. Wide Receiver. Clemson. Mike Williams

Defensive End. Tennessee. Derek Barnett. 19. player. 48. The Bucs have built a pretty good roster the last couple of years and found a couple good defensive players later in the draft. The one thing the Bucs are missing though is an elite defensive end. Gerald Mccoy would love this pick to take some of the attention off of him in the middle. If the Bucs want to make the next step this would be a great pick to help out the defense that is tasked to slow down Newton, Brees and Ryan.

Temple. Haason Reddick. 20. player. 45. More defense for Denver? The Broncos have lost Demarcus Ware and Malik Jackson from the Defensive line and have had some injuries at linebacker. Reddick is a do it all linebacker from Temple that can rush the pass and showed great coverage at the Senior Bowl. Reddick’s stock probably increased the most from the Senior Bowl and is riding it all the way into the top 20. Reddick looks like a kid that could step in and start right away, a three down linebacker that can bring the Broncos defense back to an elite level.<br />. Linebacker

Alabama. Ruben Foster. 21. player. 50. The slide ends here, as Foster who is considered a top 10 pick makes his way to pick 21. Foster had a strange encounter while at the combine and didn’t work out there either. There are also injury concerns around Foster. The Lions will go with the best available player and also fill a need at linebacker. They lost Deandre Levy and Foster can fill that hole. A value here for the Lions as Foster could be a 3 down backer that play sideline to sideline.. Linebacker

Safety / Linebacker. Michigan. Jabrill Peppers. 22. player. 59. The hate for Peppers has gone too far! Peppers, who is one of the most versatile players in the draft was a weapon on offense and special teams at Michigan during his time there. Miami’s offense looks set with pass catchers and the emergence of Jay Ajayi so they should take Peppers to boost the defensive side. Kiki Alonso played well at linebacker last year but Peppers is the type of player that you can stick on the field and he can make plays covering WRs, TEs, and RBs.

The Giants have spent a lot of money on defense in free agency last year and it paid off. I could see the Giants selecting a running back here if one of the top 3 falls, but if not they need to build up their linebacking core as their defensive line and secondary are set. Giants could use a sideline to sideline backer to bring their defense to an elite status and contend for a Super Bowl this year.. Linebacker. Vanderbilt. Zach Cunningham. 23. player. 31

28. Al Davis will be smiling with this pick. David Njoku is just the type of prospect Al loved. This guy is an absolute freak, a wide receiver in a tight end’s body. He is super-fast, has great hands, runs well and is a playmaker. Who better to surround David Carr with, but an impressive tight end to complement Crabtree, Patterson, and Cooper on the outside? The Raiders are a serious Super Bowl contender and a team the Patriots will have to be scared of moving forward with such an explosive offense.. Tight End. Miami. David Njoku. 24. player

I don’t think there is any way the Texans take a quarterback here, there’s a slim chance they take Deshaun Watson as he is the readiest to play. I say that because the Texans already have a Super Bowl caliber defense and that was without JJ Watt last season. Clowney has developed into a top end and there is so many first round picks on defense they are set. They just need a QB, as there isn’t much of a future with Tom Savage. Tony Romo would have made them a threat, but if the Texans are confident with their QB situation then they must protect him. The Texans have had injuries on their offensive line for years and Duane Brown is aging. Ramczyk played one year at Wisconsin and was a beast, a kid you could start at right tackle as a rookie with the thoughts of moving him to the left side as Duane Brown moves on in his career.. Tackle. Wisconsin. Ryan Ramczyk. 25. player. 10

Utah. Garett Bolles. 26. player. 36. The Seahawks have had offensive line troubles since Russell Wilson started playing QB there. It’s time to put together a solid line unit for Wilson to get them back into the Super Bowl. The Seahawks signed former 2nd overall pick Luke Joeckel to play guard and I think a nice pick would be Bolles to start at tackle for them this year. Seahawks should have some good information coming from a west coast school and Pete should still have some connections with some of the west coast guys to give info on the physical mammoth Bolles. Russell Wilson approves of this pick.. Tackle

If Corey Davis slides past pick 12-15 I could see him dropping into the late 20s. A guy that was hot at the end of the college football season, he has done nothing to enhance his stock or cement it. Davis has been hurt and with a small school, prospect teams haven’t gotten a real gauge on how good he is at a combine or pro day. Chiefs found a gem in Tyreke Hill last year but Chris Conley hasn’t developed and what happened to Jeremy Maclin? The run game is always good with Andy Reid and Alex Smith has a few years left, so I see them adding Davis to the outside as a nice complement to the pieces they already have.. Wide Receiver. Western Michigan. Corey Davis. 27. player. 124

28. player. 123. If Jarred Davis didn’t suffer an injury late in the Gators season I could see him rivaling as the top linebacker in the draft. Can anyone remember who the Cowboys linebackers are after oft-injured Sean Lee? The Cowboys defense over achieved last year playing with a lead all season, and when they needed to stop the Packers in the playoffs the Packers marched down the field, twice, to score and win. We all know that Rod Marinelli only needs bodies on the defensive line and he will churn out above average performance. Davis is a side line to side line big hitting linebacker that will complement Sean Lee perfectly, as both great run stuffers and two tough guys that would be great to keep in the game when playing the nickel.<br />. Linebacker. Florida. Jarrad Davis

TJ Watt. 29. player. 49. Packers’ jersey sales soar as the Packers select a Badger AND he’s a Watt! The Packers continue to select ends and linebackers in the top of the draft for years, with some hitting and some flopping. Watt has huge potential and could be perfect to come off the edge leaving Clay to roam as he has done for years now. If TJ is anything like JJ in his work ethic I can see this guy developing into a double-digit sack player.. Defensive End / Linebacker. Wisconsin

55. The QB slide ends here! Did anyone really think Big Ben was going to retire? With enough money in the bank and Ben taking huge hits over his career you could see him retiring after one more big injury or after another Super Bowl run this season. Watson is a winner and spending a year or two behind Ben could really help him develop, as it seems like every year we see Landry Jones come in for a couple games and look below average. Watson is someone I could see come in this season in spot duty and win some games. The Steelers have a championship roster and I think this is the year they set themselves up for the future.. Quarterback. Clemson. Deshaun Watson. 30. player

Takkarist McKinley. 31. player. 44. It’s hard to say that the Falcons have a huge need as they essentially won the Super Bowl if they didn’t blow it late in the game. Dan Quin has built a solid defense with his time there and Beasley did what they thought he would coming out of Clemson. This could be a best available pick here and another weapon for the Falcons on the defensive side to come off the edge and help stop the run. McKinley is a raw prospect and could be a steal of a pick with the idea he plays 40% of snaps rushing the passer on 3rd downs.  . Defensive End / Linebacker. UCLA

15. The Saints acquired this pick with the Brandon Cooks trade to the Patriots. With rumors of the Saints trying to trade for Malcolm Butler or Richard Sherman, it sounds like they want a Corner. Wilson has the perfect blend of size and speed to play man coverage for the Saints. With Pick 11 the Saints take someone to help Drew Brees score 35 points a game, and this pick will help the Saints stop the team from hopefully scoring 40. I see Wilson as a day one starter on the outside.. Cornerback. Florida. Quincy Wilson. 32. player

Closing remarks:

Next: Final Seven-Round Mock Draft


The 2017 NFL Draft feels loaded with prospects, there were another 10-20 players I could see going in the first round past pick 16. This is the year to trade down. Here are some prospects I could see going in the first round come April 27th.  Forrest Lamp, G/C, Western Kentucky, Adoree Jackson, CB/KR, USC, DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame, Fabian Moreau, CB, UCLA, Alvin Kamara, RB, Tennessee, Budda Baker, S, Washington, Zay Jones, WR, East Carolina, Malik McDowell, DE/DT, Michigan State, Caleb Brantley, DT, Florida, Pat Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech, Tre’Davious White, CB, LSU, Obi Melifonwu, S, Connecticut, and Charles Harris, DE/OLB, Missouri.