I was really going to wait until after the combine and the start of FA to make my third mock draft but it's late and I have nothing better to do...so buckle up, here we go.
I usually don't try to predict trades, but I'll make an exception here since this is being made pretty much on the fly. We trade our 1st (16th overall) and 3rd (Comp) to Detroit in exchange for their 1st (21st overall), 3rd, and 4th. So basically we're moving back in the first, up in the third, and acquiring a 4th.
Round 1 (pick 21) - Sidney Jones // CB // Washington // 6'0", 185 lbs
Jones is my top all around CB in the draft, but here I have him as the third CB taken behind Wilson and Lattimore. Why? I feel Wilson is the better CB within 20 yards of the LOS, but Jones is better all around, and Lattimore just has wicked potential. Jones is remarkable at staying with his man no matter what and staying disciplined while in coverage. Personally I think he's the best all around coverage corner in the draft, he doesn't have a major pitfall in any kind of coverage, he can do it all. On top of that, he is a surprisingly reliable run defender as well. We saw this past year what happens to our defense when Jimmy inevitably gets hurt, we go from being a contender for the best unit in football to hot garbage. Jones can step in right away and start opposite Jimmy on the outside, and let Tavon move inside to slot where his skillset is better suited. If/when Jimmy goes down we can kick Tavon back out and keep rolling forward.
Round 2 - Haason Reddick // ILB/EDGE // Temple // 6'1", 237 lbs
Reddick is a very interesting prospect, I don't know if there is anyone in the LB class that is more athletically gifted than him. I fully believe that with him and Correa on the field together our unit would be extremely tricky for offensive coordinators and players alike to decode, having two guys that can switch between ILB and EDGE would allow for some creative playcalling that'll disguise what we're going to do. Together he and Correa can be a duo that plays off each other and make each other better. The two of them on the field together would shut up the Correa deniers real quick, they seem like a pair that could spell nightmares for opposing offenses. However, I would be remiss if I failed to mention that Reddick is in danger of not being here, in a relatively weak ILB top end, and he being so athletic and smart, he could start to rise even moreso than he already has.
Round 3 - Jay Guillermo // C/G // Clemson // 6'3", 310 lbs
It's no secret that Zuttah was the weakest link in our starting oline unit, we need to draft his successor. Since the Gradkowski debacle Zuttah has been a valuable asset starting at center for us and being mostly reliable, but this past year he took a very noticeable step backward. With a year of development Guillermo can take over from Zuttah and be our center for the future, in the mean time he is valuable depth up front in case injuries keep popping up. Guillermo fits the new look our oline seems like it'll go in now that we have a new set of coaches working with them, Guillermo is nothing if not a mauler. I don't think he'll be a guy capable of taking over year 1, so with him I think Zuttah will most definitely be starting come next year, which many around here would hate, but he's safer than the alternatives.
Round 3 (from earlier trade) - Noah Brown // WR // Ohio State // 6'2", 220 lbs
I know people hate taking WRs based on potential, especially since it hasn't worked out amazingly for us yet, but Brown is a very special case. First of all, I expect us to address the WR position in FA, honestly I don't think we can afford not to, the FA WR class is relatively strong with some notable names that we can afford to add, i.e. Garcon, maybe even a Brandon Marshall if he gets cut. Now Brown has all of the tools to be a great WR, he should have stayed for his final year at OSU, but he decided to declare early. He's a big bodies WR with good speed - though not a speedster, maybe he can sneak into the late 4.4s as far as the 40 goes - but on tape I am impressed with his ability in the intermediate area and his release off the snap is top tier, the guy gets separation more than his receiving numbers would indicate. Probably my favorite thing about him is that he is a very aggressive run blocker, just watch the guy, when it's time to run block in gets in there and attacks, which is great for a team like us that really wants to establish the run from the onset of the game.
Round 4 - Ejuan Price // EDGE // Pittsburgh // 5'10", 246 lbs
Unfortunately, based on where he's from it's pretty safe to assume that he's a Steelers fan, that being said, I'm happy to look the other way in this case. If Price is available this late then all teams are foolish to let him go by unpicked. Forget about his height, as a situational pass rusher in the NFL Price will be a star from the get go. His spin move is Freeney-esque, but he uses a variety of moves to get to opposing QBs and he's damn good at getting there. He's an immediate upgrade to our lacking pass rush and, in my opinion, he does have the strength to be more than just a situational guy eventually.
Round 4 (from earlier trade) - Jordan Morgan // OG // Kutztown // 6'2", 313 lbs
Another Senior Bowl kid that really impressed me playing at LG, held up very well in both pass blocking and getting very good push as a run blocker. Small school guy so he obviously needs some work, personally what I saw at the Senior Bowl as an area that could be improved is that he's impatient, if he doesn't have someone directly in front of him to block he moves out of position to block someone off the LOS, leaving the QB potentially vulnerable and opening himself up to a penalty for being downfield. Also, while run blocking he tended to move his guy straight back rather than trying to wall him off and opening up a hole. That being said, he held up very well against both Carlos Watkins and Montravious Adams, two guys that I really, really like that'll go much earlier than him, and I feel like both of the problems that I mentioned are fixable in time. One of our downfalls this season was lack of depth along the oline, Jensen regresses and Urschel just hasn't taken the step forward that we want him to. Now add into the equation that it's a possibility that Wagner will leave in FA (hopefully not, I think it would be a mistake to let him go), kicking Lewis out to RT in all likelihood, leaving us with a gaping hole at LG, we need interior blockers badly. One of the more intriguing - at least to me - things that I've found while going through the process is that in the past 10 years (possibly even further back, I didn't go back farther) we have taken a small school guy every year with only one exception (2011). I don't know about you all, but this is just a pattern that I never really noticed. And also something to keep in mind: we met with Morgan at the Senior Bowl, take from that what you will about whether we like him or not.
Round 5 - D.J. Killings // CB // UCF // 5'10", 180 lbs
Getting to that point in the draft where I'm just going to name an under the radar guys that I like, Killings is that guy. He's on the smaller side, but the guy is really smooth and QBs didn't challenge him all that much, however, when he was challenged he always showed up. Obviously not a perfect prospect right out of the gate, is any CB this late? but I see the tools of a guy that will surprise some people if given the shot. We need depth at slot CB, believe it or not I don't want to rely on Powers again next season, and I like DJ's fit with us.
Round 6 - John Law // ILB // Appalachian State // 6'1", 235 lbs
Again, guy I really like, see sideline to sideline athletic ability, coverage skills, packs some punch in the run game, and possibly most important, the instincts are there. ILB depth was a problem even when Zach Orr was on the team, now that he's gone we could use another guy, even if it's someone who won't see the field much aside from special teams. Also, having an ILB named "Johnny Law" would just be great.
Round 7 - Karel Hamilton // WR // Samford // 6'0", 200 lbs
This late, could be anyone, but during the East/West Shrine game Hamilton showed off some unbelievable hands and speed to go deep. Samford has been pumping out some good talent the past couple years, Michael Pierce for example, and I can see Hamilton carving out a role in the NFL. Main thing is though, guy has a top tier set of hands and I'd love to have this guy, for a team that for whatever reason loves to take guys with lots of speed and questionable hands - every freaking time - it'd be nice to have a guy with a set of reliable hands, and the guy even has the speed we always want so it wouldn't be much of a departure.
