Shive's Draft Day Mock Draft

[Shive]

For this mock draft, I used FirstPick, which I feel is generally pretty spot on with their boards and where players often go. This mock is with no trades to see what kind of talent we can get with the picks we have.

 

Round 1 Pick 6:  Smith, Roquan, ILB/OLB, Georgia

For anyone that has paid any attention to my posts over the past few months, this is no surprise. I believe Roquan is a perfect fit for our defense at one of the most important positions. He gives you a top level WILL that can kick in to MIKE in subpackages. I believe that he also has the potential to develop into a starting MIKE with a few years of NFL Strength and Conditioning and NFL coaching. Some people think that we should trade down a few picks to get Smith, but I think that if he's your guy, you don't take a chance at trading down and losing him.

Round 2 Pick 4:  Jackson, Josh, CB, Iowa

Jackson is the best fit at CB for our new scheme and is an absolute ball hawk. I believe that he could step in and start opposite Quincy Wilson Day 1. There's a chance Jackson may not make it out of the 1st, but his disappointing 40 time and position drills may make him slip just enough.

 

Round 2 Pick 5:  Wynn, Isaiah, OG, Georgia

In Wynn we get a top G talent that will be able to start immediately and help solidify our line. Wynn is big, strong, and mobile. He allowed five pressures this past season and only 26 in his 2,609 collegiate snaps. Wynn also has the versatility to kick out to T in a pinch, since he played the position in college at a solid level as well.

 

Round 2 Pick 17:  Sutton, Courtland, WR, Southern Methodist

The WR talent in this draft is hard to nail down. There's a lot of WR2's and none that really warrant a top 20 pick. I could see Ridley going in the 1st, but most of the other WR's should fall to the 2nd. Sutton would be a perfect compliment to TY in that he is a big, prototypical possession WR. He would fill the "Alshon Jeffery" role in Reich's offense and could immediately step in at WR2. He doesn't have the best top end speed and needs to work on his ability to get separation, but he knows how to use his body to box out defenders and win contested catches.

 

Round 3 Pick 3:  Penny, Rashaad, RB, San Diego State

Penny has the power and speed to be a very effective early-down runner at the NFL level. He does need work in pass protection, but that's pretty common among college RB's. Penny led the nation in rushing yards last season and also forced 80 missed tackles, which led all FBS RB's. He would be the perfect compliment to Marlon Mack and could start right away.

 

Round 4 Pick 4:  Cappa, Alex, OT, Humboldt State

Cappa was a big name at the Senior Bowl and everyone said that he played straight up nasty. He's a strong run blocker and is another guy that played T in college, but would most likely be better suited at G in the NFL. While he's a strong, athletic lineman, it's his technique that he wins with most often. He offers that same swing tackle ability as well. I see Cappa as a guy that will provide good depth initially with the potential to start in a couple years, especially since he may need time to get used to the speed of the NFL game.

 

Round 5 Pick 3:  Stewart, MJ, CB, North Carolina

PFF sums him up really well:

More of a matchup weapon on defense than a true, pure cornerback, Stewart’s NFL future may lie as a kind of hybrid player on defense. The good news is those players are in demand at the moment and his ability to cover the slot as well as match up with receiving weapons like backs and tight ends in the passing game will push his value up.  He also played and graded well at the Senior Bowl, which is always a plus as teams see players against elite competition.

 

Round 6 Pick 4:  Scales, Tegray, ILB, Indiana

Scales had a down year in 2017, but was really solid in 2016. He has outstanding instincts, can cover, and can play as a downhill LB. He has a similar issue as Smith with his ability to consistently shed blocks, but not as bad. He's a bit smaller than most would like at MIKE, but at the very least, he would be a great SAM.

 

Round 7 Pick 3:  Scott, Jaleel, WR, New Mexico State

Scott is a tall WR (6'5", 215lbs) that would initially be a really good red zone target. He has a big catch radius, great ball skills, and is extremely competitive when the ball is in the air. Scott definitely needs refinement with his route running, but shows that he understands the mental side of playing WR, which is HUGE.

 

Notes:

Scales and Scott may end up going a round higher than I have them here, and in that case, I would be absolutely ok bumping Scales up to the 5th round, Scott to the 6th round, and taking Michael Joseph, CB, Dubuque in the 7th.

 

I feel like this would get us 2, maybe 3, defensive starters and at least 3 on offense, which would fortify the weakest positions on our roster. I decided to pass up taking a pass rusher in this draft to see what we're working with on the roster already and look to draft one next year when there is a MUCH better pass rush draft class.

 

With this mock, I also focused on consistency. I didn't want to take any players in the first 2 days that were purely projection guys. I wanted guys that consistently showed up on tape, playing at a solid level. Some of the best rosters in the NFL are filled with guys that mostly aren't superstars, but do their jobs well and on a consistent basis. I feel like this would help build on last year's draft to give us a great foundation moving forward.

[buccolts]

Love the draft, but heavily worry about picks 2 thru 5 really being there.

[Shive]

9 minutes ago, buccolts said:

Love the draft, but heavily worry about picks 2 thru 5 really being there.

Yea, they're all players that I feel have a fairly wide projection. I think this is definitely quite an optimistic draft, but hey, can't hurt to be optimistic. 

[DaColts85]

I like the players but doubt we leave this draft without a DT or DE.  Ballard has preached the importance of the front 7 and mainly the d-line.  He wants 7 to 8 good bodies to rotate.  We are lacking and I can definitely see a pick or two here.

[shasta519]

I love this haul...but not expecting day two to be that fortuitous.

[NewColtsFan]

51 minutes ago, shastamasta said:

I love this haul...but not expecting day two to be that fortuitous.

 

Hey!     No big SAT words for the next three days!

 

Besides, we have a somewhat new poster with the same screen name, just spelled differently, and I wouldn't want him to think that you're mocking him!